Much has been made about the improvements made by the Carolina Panthers during Dan Morgan's second recruitment period as general manager. However, the biggest positive of all has gone completely under the radar.
It's no secret that the Panthers' defense was an abomination in 2024. Morgan didn't do enough to surround coordinator Ejiro Evero with the personnel needed to deploy his 3-4 base scheme effectively. They were devoid of legitimate starting quality or sufficient depth. It became an unmitigated disaster that will go down in the record books for all the wrong reasons.
The Panthers suffered the embarrassment of conceding the most single-season points in NFL history. They coughed up more than 3,000 rushing yards at 179.8 per game. And their capitulation began when Pro Bowl defensive lineman Derrick Brown suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1.
Derrick Brown's return could change everything for the Carolina Panthers
Brown is arguably Carolina's best player. The No. 7 overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft broke the NFL's single-season tackle record for interior defensive linemen in 2023. He was one of the few franchise cornerstones on defense. Losing a player of this magnitude was a crushing blow that Evero's unit couldn't recover from.
Now, he's back.
The former Auburn standout is making encouraging strides in his recovery from a knee issue that required surgery. Brown is working out with his teammates, and reports suggest he'll be all systems go for training camp. This will be like having a new signing to go along with the other pivotal additions to Carolina's defensive front.
If Brown returns to the player of old, and the likes of Bobby Brown III and Tershawn Wharton adjust well to their new environments, the Panthers' defense will have a stable base from which to build. It'll make things easier for everyone, and they won't be the walkover most thought whenever they stepped onto the field in 2024.
Brown is a genuine game-wrecker. He's capable of influencing proceedings despite being double or triple-teamed constantly. He's a brute force in the trenches who leads by example. And for fans, it'll be phenomenal to have him back.
One player isn't going to flip the script. This is the ultimate team sport, so others must also meet their end of the bargain. However, the Panthers are far better off having Brown in the lineup than on the sidelines.
That much became painfully obvious last season.