Can Ron Meeks and The Carolina Panthers Mesh For Success?

Ahhh, the intrigue.

There’s plenty of that before every NFL season, when ideas and theories are bandied about with the abandon of firecrackers at a pyromaniac convention.

But the most intriguing part of the Carolina Panthers preseason is clear as an IMAX movie.

Can a defensive coordinator with a history of coaching sometimes great but often inconsistent defense be expected to produce when paired with a unit that has the same background?

Ron Meeks became the Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator earlier this year when he was hired to replace Mike Trgovac, who resigned after refusing a contract extension from the Panthers.

Meeks had been at the helm of the Indianapolis Colts defense for the previous seven seasons. 

He’s the man who led the Colts D to a late-season run that helped produce a Super Bowl win in 2007.

He’s also the coach who, apparently under pressure, resigned at Indy in January after his unit finished 24^th in rush defense last season, and 11^th overall.

The Panthers defense, meanwhile, has guys named Julius Peppers, Jon Beason, and Chris Harris—men considered among the top defenders in the NFL.

That would be the same Carolina defense that finished a pedestrian 18^th overall in the NFL last season. And the same one that finished 16^th in pass defense and 20^th in rush defense.

The short take is that Carolina’s defense is made up of top individuals who appear to underachieve as a unit.

Meeks’ coaching strength?  Developing individual talent.

Indy safety Bob Sanders was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2007, one of only four safeties in league history to earn that award.

Defensive ends Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney—despite each being undersized by NFL standards—reached the Pro Bowl last season, with Freeney starting for the AFC.

Meeks’ apparent coaching weakness? Leading underachieving defenses.

 Indy essentially sent Meeks packing for his perceived lack of achievement. Or so it appears.

So how does the coaching ability of Meeks mesh with Carolina’s personnel when the two appear to have so many similarities?

Essentially, what is to be expected when a coach known for developing individuals, but not consistent units, is hired to lead a unit known for strong individual play but less than stellar team play?

Those are, well, intriguing questions.

But football is a team game and not one where an individual can carry 10 teammates on the field of play.

Maybe Meeks and his Indy stars were handicapped by inferior teammates.

Maybe Carolina’s defense is merely a player or two away from greatness.

We may soon find out, as both Carolina and Indianapolis attempted to upgrade their defenses in this year’s draft.

Carolina selected Everette Brown, a somewhat undersized defensive end at 6’2” and 256 pounds (think Mathis and Freeney), who dropped to the second round after first round expectations.

 The Panthers then selected Sherrod Martin, a safety, and defensive lineman Corvey Irvin with their next two picks. Their seventh and final selection was cornerback Captain Munnerlyn.

The Colts chose two defensive tackles and a cornerback among their eight picks.

Carolina’s biggest question mark at this point, however, is the status of Peppers, whose 14.5 sacks were tied for fifth in the league last season. Peppers has yet to sign the offer sheet that would make him the team’s franchise player.

Whatever happens with that situation, expect Meeks to field an aggressive defense focused on getting to the ball quickly. Meeks uttered the word “pressure” at least eight times during a post-workout interview posted recently on Panthers.com.

Meeks and his players are using terms such as “play fast” and “high energy” and “gang tackle.” Look for “run to the football” to be an ingrained part of Panthers’ lexicon this season.

That aggressive philosophy could be just the jolt needed by Carolina’s defense.

The underlying questions are plentiful, nonetheless.

Will Meeks be able to develop Harris into a player as productive as Sanders at Indy? Harris, a ball hawking safety whose eight forced fumbles led the NFL in 2007, should thrive under Meeks’ system.

And will Brown and Peppers become as effective as Freeney and Mathis? The two combined for 22 sacks last season under Meeks.

Observing the development of Carolina’s defense this season will no doubt become one of the more fascinating aspects of the 2009 season.

Intrigue, indeed.