For the Carolina Panthers, though defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero is back, the defense will look completely different at the start of the 2024 season.
During the early portion of the offseason, the Panthers brought in names like Josey Jewell (played for Evero in Denver), defensive lineman A'Shawn Robinson, safety Jordan Fuller (both of whom played under Evero in Los Angeles for the Rams), Jadeveon Clowney, Dane Jackson and D.J. Wonnum. With all the additions, Evero said exactly what most who watch the Panthers feel.
"The one thing I will say is that I'm really, really, really excited about the group of guys that we have right now," Evero said Thursday, via the Panthers website. "These first four days have just been really exciting and we know that we've got a lot of good football players, talented football players, but also just the football dialogue.
"I feel like the football dialogue that we have right now is at such a high level from all the different position rooms when we get together collectively, so it's exciting for me."
With the names added to the roster, the Panthers could be in for a big step forward on defense. Already, Evero led a stout unit during the 2023 season – he now has the tools to make that unit even better.
"I wouldn't say better equipped, but I feel so much better about our starting point compared to last year," Evero said. "Just with the experience and knowledge and foundation of the system. Every player that we have has been in, most of the players that we've had have been in some version of our system with the same dialogue and language and communication skills.
"And so from that standpoint, we are a lot further ahead than we were this time last year."
The name of the game for Evero is improvement. And at least on paper, it looks like the Panthers are already there.
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