Of all the many disappointments around the Carolina Panthers' embarrassing defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1, none were more demoralizing than the run defense. Unless drastic improvements are made, it's hard to envisage Ejiro Evero lasting another season as defensive coordinator.
That's why the Panthers must contemplate making this change to avoid disaster in Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals.
Watching Evero's unit give up plentiful yards on the ground was a depressing feeling. They coughed up more than 3,000 yards in 2024. They are on track to concede 3,400 in 2025 after the Jaguars notched 200 on opening weekend.
Carolina Panthers must make Tre'von Moehrig a second-level feature often
This was deeply disappointing, especially considering the investments made by general manager Dan Morgan over the spring. Things cannot go on the way they are, but the challenges don't get any easier with James Conner and Kyler Murray standing in Carolina's way.
Conner is the power back capable of gaining hard yards and becoming a significant red-zone threat. Murray is a dual-threat quarterback with the elusiveness to take off at will. The Cardinals also have Trey Benson, whose explosiveness gained 69 rushing yards from just eight carries in Week 1.
The Panthers must take this threat seriously. And Evero must consider making alterations at the defensive second level.
Christian Rozeboom and Trevin Wallace were the starting linebacker tandem at EverBank Stadium. The former was workmanlike without setting the world on fire. The latter was awful, displaying his inexperience and a complete lack of discipline to emerge as a weak link.
Evero doesn't have many alternatives. Only Claudin Cherelus and undrafted rookie Bam Martin-Scott are listed behind them on the depth chart. That makes moving safety Tre'von Moehrig down to box on every early down situation a must.
That would leave the Panthers exposed on the backend — which is ill-advised if Nick Scott is still starting — but desperate times call for desperate measures. Until Wallace proves himself as a starting-caliber linebacker in the NFL, Evero cannot afford to take any chances, as his hot seat is getting warmer with every week that passes.
Moehrig is a tone-setter. He's a hard hitter who can identify running lanes and get to the contact point quickly. He's also an exceptional tackler, which cannot be said of Wallace based on his most recent effort.
That seems like the best option, and Moehrig could also be used as a spy on Murray in this scenario. Whatever Evero decides, he cannot put a foot wrong as pressure continues to mount. And any additional failures are not going to be well-received.