Panthers News: Scott Fitterer, Matt Corral, Brian Burns and Jeremy Chinn
By Dean Jones
Jeremy Chinn lauded by Carolina Panthers teammate
Ejiro Evero's arrival has completely changed the defensive philosophy where the Carolina Panthers are concerned. This isn't a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination considering the young talent within the group.
Switching to a 3-4 base defense has come with some growing pains. But their impressive joint practice with the New York Jets was a clear indicator of how special this unit could be once everyone's on the field and if key figures manage to avoid the injury bug.
One of the most intriguing transitions centers on Jeremy Chinn. The former second-round pick is switching to a versatile big nickel with the potential to line up almost anywhere apart from the defensive front, something teammate Donte Jackson has full confidence in based on his comments via the team's website.
"We always knew that whatever this defense asks from him, he was going to be the guy to go get it done because he's one of those guys that, energy-wise, we all follow. He's just a dynamic player regardless. He's a see-ball, get-ball type of guy. And with those types of guys, you never really want to box him in and tell him to do this when this happens or do this when this happens. You kind of just want to let those type of guys just fly around and make plays, and that's what Chinn has always been, you know, dating back to when he first got here."
- Donte Jackson via Panthers.com
Chinn seems to be adjusting well to his new role and should be highly motivated in a contract year. The Southern Illinois product has been a tone-setter from the moment he arrived in Carolina and hopefully, this is a trend that can continue under Evero's exceptional guidance.