Jeff King is not the most exciting person to talk about. He finished last year with 46 receptions, 406 yards, and two touchdowns. He obviously isn't a top fantasy tight end, but he doesn't have to be. He is a good blocker, and he does the job for the Carolina Panthers. If only they could have snagged Shockey...
Offensive Line
The offensive line, starting at the left and moving towards the right, consists of Jordan Gross, Travelle Wharton, Ryan Kalil, Keydrick Vincent, and rookie Jeff Otah. I think that the offensive line will perform well, and they will definitely open up holes for DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.
Defensive Line
This is where the Carolina Panthers took the biggest blow.
They not only lost Kris Jenkins, but Mike Rucker also retired. The Panthers' defense has always been defined through their stellar defensive line. Now that they have lost that, they will have to find a new definition.
Julius Peppers also had a terrible season last season, with only 2.5 sacks, his worst ever total at that statistic. He still has the potential and the skill to turn that around this season, though.
Charles Johnson will be the other defensive end, even though he only played in three games last season, amassing two tackles and no sacks. Ma'ake Kemoeatu will be the left defensive tackle, and he finished last season with 47 tackles, no forced fumbles, and no sacks.
The right defensive tackle will be Damoine Lewis, who only had 29 tackles in 15 games last season.
Linebackers
This is where I see the Panthers' defense excelling.
Jon Beason was a force to be reckoned with last year, finishing with 140 tackles, enough to lead the Panthers, in his rookie year. Now that he is more experienced and has had more time to learn the defense, he should be even better. I see him stepping up and being the leader of these linebackers for years to come.
While they did lose Dan Morgan to the New Orleans Saints, he has only played a combined four games in the last two seasons.
Overall, he has played 59 games out of a possible 128 in his career. While he was a good linebacker, he was only helpful when he wasn't hurt, which wasn't often. He racked up 22 tackles in the three games that he played in.
Thomas Davis will also probably start this season. Last year he had 87 tackles, two forced fumbles, and one interception. He will be an average linebacker that will get the job done. Landon Johnson will be the other starter, and last year, he had 109 tackles, but no forced fumbles and no interceptions.
Secondary
The No. 1 cornerback next year will probably be Chris Gamble. Here are his interceptions per season, starting in his first season in the NFL: 6, 7, 3, 1. Last year was his worst season yet, which might have been partially because the opposing teams were running so much. I expect him to get seven interceptions this year, however.
The No. 2 corner will probably be Ken Lucas. Last year, he had 62 tackles and two interceptions. So, as you can probably see, the cornerback position definitely needs to step up.
The safety position is also a weakness. Chris Harris will be one of the starters, as he finished with 97 tackles, eight forced fumbles, and one interception last year. The other one will probably be Nate Salley, who played in only seven games last year, with four tackles.
Prediction
The Panthers will go 10-6, finishing second in their division, behind the Saints, but will earn a Wild Card berth. However, they will lose in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
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