Panthers’ D-line depth sets them apart

By Connor Byrne  |   Tuesday, April 04, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Carolina Panthers
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These days, a lot is made of the Carolina Panthers' starting defensive line, and rightfully so. The line is made up of big names such as Julius Peppers, Kris Jenkins, Maake Kemoeatu and Mike Rucker. All four have proven themselves as well above-average in the past, but it isn't just them who will get the job done in 2006. Look for Carolina's reserves to be a big factor next season, much like they have in the past.

For starters, reserve defensive end Al Wallace has been a major contributor to a Panthers defense that has been tremendous for the past few seasons. After rarely seeing the field between 1997 and 2001 as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears, Wallace caught on with Carolina in 2002 when he recorded 25 tackles and three sacks. In 2003 when the Panthers were conference champs, Wallace recorded 37 tackles to go along with five sacks. He had a down year in 2004 with just one sack, but he bounced back last season with five sacks backing up Peppers and Rucker. Although he isn't heralded much by anyone outside of the Charlotte area, the 32-year-old Wallace is a great team guy who has been one of the Panthers' defensive MVP's for the last few seasons because of his versatility. Now that Jenkins is fully-healthy and the mammoth Kemoeatu will be eating up opposing offensive linemen, the Panthers' line should be much-improved next season, and that should mean Wallace will have equal to greater success when he sees the field.

At the defensive tackle position, the Panthers' first stalwart reserve is 27-year-old Kindal Moorehead. A former fifth-round pick from Alabama in the 2003 draft, Moorehead has emerged as a solid option on certain downs over the last two seasons; in fact, he's totaled 49 tackles and seven sacks over his last 29 games. Undoubtedly, those are solid numbers for a backup tackle. Moorehead's greatest strength lies in his ability to pressure the opposing quarterback on passing downs. He brings a rare dimension that we don't often see in tackles anymore. The reason Moorehead has the ability to get to the opposition's passer is because of his quickness, which stems from the fact that he's only 285 pounds. His weight is below average for a tackle, but it has certainly worked for him and the Panthers' defense over the last couple of seasons. There's no reason to think that Moorehead's solid play won't continue into 2006.

Adding on to the Panthers' defensive tackle depth is 25-year-old Jordan Carstens. The former Iowa State standout signed on with Carolina as an undrafted free agent prior to the 2004 season. Carstens showed signs of life in his rookie season, but little did he know that he'd find the field so much in 2005. As a sophomore, Carstens was thrown into the fire when Jenkins went down in week one. However, the youngster performed admirably, collecting 23 tackles and four sacks in split-duty with Moorehead. Carstens' best strength is certainly the depth that he provides, and he will be giving plenty of that next season for Carolina's refurbished line.

The final major piece of the Carolina Panthers' defensive line reserve puzzle is former St. Louis Rams first-round tackle Damione Lewis. After five somewhat uninspiring seasons to start his career, Lewis signed a two-year deal worth $3.9 million with the Panthers in March. The 28-year-old is hoping to resurrect his disappointing career in Carolina, much like Wallace did. Without question, Lewis has the talent to do so; he just needs to be inspired by the right kind of coaching. Although former Rams d-line coach Bill Kollar is widely-regarded as one of the elite coaches in football, his stern style isn't for everyone, and it wasn't for Lewis. Now that he's a backup, the pressure will be off Lewis in Carolina, and he should perform better under the tutelage of defensive line coach Sal Sunseri. It's safe to say that many teams would love to have Lewis as a reserve/spot starter, but not necessarily a full-time guy. Having Lewis as depth should pay major dividends for the Panthers' defense next season.

With these four players at his disposal, defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac's job should be a whole lot easier next season. Relatively unknown to the average football fan, Trgovac has quietly emerged as one of the best assistants in football in the past few seasons, and having reserves like these will make him look even better than he already is, which could land him a well-deserved head coaching opportunity in the very near future.

In the event that the oft-injured Jenkins goes down for a third straight season, at least Carolina will have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to players with the ability to step in and be legitimate starters. The same can be said if Kemoeatu goes down. Also, should Peppers or Rucker go down, the Panthers' solution will be old-reliable Al Wallace, and there's nothing wrong with that.

--Connor Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@realfootball365.com
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