This upcoming 2014 NFL season, a wide variety of relatively unheralded sophomore and third-year players will inherit or take over key roles for even the best teams in the NFL. Whether it’s an already established starter who will now be assuming more responsibility, or a green, untested player who will now look to become a reliable backup, every roster depth chart has a few big question marks.
Panthers leaning on young players to stay on top of the NFC South
Carolina broke out for a surprising 12-4 run in 2013, but injuries and cap problems have left more questions than answers on the roster. If they’re going to repeat last year’s success, the Panthers need big contributions from these young players.
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In this series, I’ve been breaking down “who” I think those players are, “where” they play, “why” they’ll potentially play a key role in 2014 and “how” they’ll succeed in that.
On tap today, we have the Carolina Panthers.
DTs Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short
Who: Lotulelei was Carolina’s first-round pick, 14th overall, in 2013. The team followed that pick by selecting Kawann Short in the second round. Lotuleilei hailed from Utah, while Short came out of Purdue. Both had excellent rookie seasons for the Panthers, Lotulelei as a starter and Short in a subpackage role, and helped establish Carolina as an elite front seven in the NFL.
Where: Defensive tackle, Lotulelei at the nose and Short at the three-technique, primarily.
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Why: The Panthers are a tough, physical, stout defense and have some of the best talent on the D-line in the NFL. Carolina led the NFL in sacks in part because its interior line was so tough that it allowed the outside pass rushers a lot of one-on-one matchups.
How: It will be interesting to see how much more involved Short will get this season, but there’s no doubt that you’ll hear his name more often. Lotulelei is a star in the making (if he’s not already one). These two bring a nastiness to the Carolina defense and set the tone.
OL Nate Chandler and Amini Silatolu
Who: Silatolu was the Panthers’ second-round pick in 2012 out of Midwestern State, and Chandler followed him that year as an undrafted rookie free agent out of UCLA. While Silatolu missed most of last season to injury, he will look to bounce back and prove he was worth the investment of a second-round pick. Chandler was a defensive lineman in college but made the switch to offense last season.
Where: Silatolu is slotted at left guard and Chandler is projected to start for the Panthers at right tackle.
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Why: The Panthers have three new starters on the offensive line after losing a couple of stalwarts this past offseason, so the way these two guys play will be an important factor. Carolina is a power run game-oriented club and the ability to rush starts up front. Also, obviously, the goal will be to keep Cam Newton upright.
It's expected that the combination of C Ryan Kalil, rookie G Trai Turner and RT Chandler should provide nice push in the run game to the right, and on the left, Silatolu will provide a little nastiness on the left. Veteran Byron Bell will bookend the line at left tackle.
How: It will be a trial by fire, but as always with offensive line play, it just takes some time to jell. It’s nice having a solid veteran in the middle in Kalil, but the main key will be to stay healthy. That’s not something this team can control, but staying healthy and providing some continuity will go a long way toward making Carolina’s patchwork line work this year.
LB A.J. Klein
Who: Klein was a fifth-rounder out of Iowa State in the 2013 NFL Draft. He saw limited action his rookie season, mostly special teams play (though he did appear in all 16 games), but started two in place of an injured Chase Blackburn in Weeks 10 and 11. He finished the year with 21 tackles.
Where: Klein is vying for a starting linebacker job (in competition with Blackburn), and also has the important role of playing backup to middle linebacker and 2013 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Luke Kuechly.
Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Why: In the NFL, backups are always one injury away from seeing the playing field. The Panthers’ identity on defense is with their stout, talented front seven, so even though Klein may not start in his second season with the team, he will almost surely play a significant backup and rotational role.
How: Letting the game slow down. How? Study. "I am a lot more comfortable," Klein said recently. "One year in the playbook and being in the system makes a big difference. I've been working on my zone coverage and understanding the defense from multiple positions.
“Just having better awareness in my pass drops. That’s what I have been trying to work on the most.”
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