Die Anpflanzler [DA] » The Panthers’ defensive tackles played better than

you remember."The Panthers’ defense finished the 2018 season ranked 12th in the league in rushing yards by allowing only 112 yards per game. It’s pretty much the best statistic I can find about the 2018 defense. The Panthers’ defense ranked in the 20s for about every other metric that matters. The Panthers’ two starters at defensive tackle and their top back-up all played well against the run in 2018.The Panthers had their typical four man rotation up front with Kawann Short and Dontari Poe getting the most snaps. Surprisingly Youth Eric Reid Jersey , the leading back-up was Kyle Love, instead of the former first round selection Vernon Butler. Love got almost as many snaps as Poe and had a career season against the run.Kawann Short2018 stats: 14 games, 42 combined tackles, three sacks, one pass knocked down and one forced fumbleShort was the highest ranked player on the defensive line for the Panthers in 2018. While his three sacks on the season were far from his three year average of 8 sacks he performed at an elite level against the run. From Pro Football Focus:Please don’t look at the eleven sacks he had in 2015 and think Short had a bad season. That assessment misses the full contribution Short provided the defense while being a three down defensive tackle. Dontari Poe2018 stats: 16 games, 17 combined tackles and one sackPoe was one of the Panthers’ key free agent acquisitions in 2018 and he produced about as expected. He didn’t have a career year but his season grade was not far off. It was certainly better than Star Lotulelei whom Poe was signed to replace. The stat line for most nose tackles in the league are usually paltry. Poe wasn’t signed to rush the passer, he is a run stuffer assigned to occupy blockers and he did that fairly well. Poe’s job helped the Panthers linebackers get free to make tackles and based on that measure he played pretty well Stitched Eric Reid Jersey , though I would not call him elite. Kyle Love2018 stats: 16 games, two starts, 1.5 sacks, 19 tackles and three forced fumblesAs mentioned Love had his best season as a Panther especially when it came to big plays. Love had a couple of them, including this gem of a forced fumble against the Falcons:Look at big Love getting the edge! That’s the way you do it. Love is a free agent in 2019 but I hope the Panthers bring him back. He made $1.3 million in 2018 and deserves more but probably not much more. He has earned the right to once again be the first defensive tackle off the bench in 2019.Vernon Butler2018 stats: 14 games, 19 tackles, 0.5 sacksThe hope was the third year player would continue his upward trend in 2018. That didn’t happen. Butler regressed against the pass Youth Matt Paradis Jersey , the part of his game we had hoped for a break out. Instead Butler enters his fourth season with no guarantee the Panthers will exercise the fifth year option of his rookie contract. Teams usually covet that fifth season but Butler has yet to warrant such consideration. The Panthers save no money cutting Butler so he will get one last chance to realize the potential the Panthers saw in 2016. At some NFL training camps, rookies are given the task of carrying veteran players’ helmets back to the locker room after practice. At the Panthers’ camp, A 31-year-old six-time Pro Bowler is voluntarily handling that task.That would be Gerald McCoy, who’s in his first year with the Panthers after nine seasons with the Buccaneers, and who says he wants to show humility to his new teammates.“My parents always taught me to be a leader,” McCoy said. “But in the midst of working to be a leader, I learned that you have to serve before you can lead. Before I know what type of leader I need to be Stitched Matt Paradis Jersey , I need to learn how to serve my teammates.”Teammates were surprised by McCoy’s offer.“Everyone looked at me like, ‘What are you doing?’” he said. “I was like, just let me do it. This is what I do. I like taking care of my teammates.”It’s a small gesture, but one that’s likely to endear McCoy to the Panthers’ locker room.