Breaking down Carolina Panthers’ deepest position on defense during offseason program
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When it comes to the depth chart, few positions on the Carolina Panthers’ roster are in better shape than the safety unit during the offseason program.
It’d be fair to argue that the safety group is the deepest unit on the entire defensive depth chart following a trio of roster moves this offseason. The Panthers signed veterans Vonn Bell and Eric Rowe in free agency before selecting rookie safety Jammie Robinson in the fifth round of April’s draft.
With Bell and Rowe entering the fold, specifically, the Panthers have bolstered not only their numbers at the position, but also the proven depth they have in the defensive backfield.
“The thing I love about the guys we have right now is they’re pros that have been there, they’ve done it, they understand how this thing works, and they’ve done it the right way,” safeties coach Bert Watts said last week. “When you have that type of experience come in — sometimes you don’t have everybody in that’s like that — but when you have multiple guys that are like that, there’s no room for anything else. It’s just, ‘Hey, this is the standard, this is the expectation, this is what we do,’ and everybody just fits off of that.”
Here’s a breakdown of the Panthers’ depth chart at safety during the offseason program:
The starters
Vonn Bell
Age: 28
Ht/Wt: 5-11, 205 lbs.
Stats: 636 tackles (26 for loss), 9.5 sacks, 15 forced fumbles, 35 pass breakups and six interceptions in 109 games (93 starts)
The Panthers jumped at the opportunity to sign Bell in free agency. A longtime locker-room leader — dating back to his college days at Ohio State — Bell is a tone-setter with his play and command of the position room. Paired with another strong communicator in Woods, the Panthers’ safeties have the experience and clout to lead a secondary that has a relatively young cornerback depth chart.
Bell is known for playing in the box, as he is an excellent blitzer and run-stopper. He complements Woods, who is more of a natural free safety.
Xavier Woods
Age: 27
Ht/Wt: 5-11, 204 lbs.
Stats: 441 tackles (five for loss), five forced fumbles, 34 pass breakups and eight interceptions in 92 games (80 starts)
Woods had a solid first campaign in Carolina last season. While his ball skills left a lot to be desired, Woods was typically in the right place when his number was called. Partnering with Bell this season will allow Woods to work in more of a natural setting as a deep safety.
The previous staff marveled at Woods’ communication skills. With the Panthers learning a new defense, Woods’ vocal leadership should help the back end adjust, even with coverage responsibilities largely remaining the same.
Versatile role players
Age: 25
Ht/Wt: 6-3, 220 lbs.
Stats: 294 tackles (10 for loss), three sacks, three forced fumbles, 16 pass breakups and two interceptions in 42 games (all starts)
Chinn has been identified as the “big” nickel corner since the new staff arrived in town, and he has impressed the coaches enough during the offseason program to receive more responsibilities.
While Chinn shouldn’t be used as a deep safety, his versatility to play nickel corner, dime linebacker and strong safety will be advantageous for defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who has focused on taking advantage of the disguise possibilities in the 3-4 front.
The Panthers can afford to be creative with Chinn, especially since he doesn’t have a natural base role within the new scheme. Perhaps he can earn that job with consistent showings in training camp and the preseason.
Eric Rowe
Age: 30
Ht/Wt: 6-1, 205 lbs.
Stats: 381 tackles (seven for loss), two sacks, six forced fumbles, 41 pass breakups and five interceptions in 100 games (56 starts)
Like Chinn, Rowe is basically a jack-of-all-trades defensive back. While he probably fits best at safety, Rowe can play nickel corner and dime linebacker and work at boundary corner in a pinch. Rowe’s work at free safety complements Chinn within the second unit.
Rowe has played for Super Bowl teams and handled multiple depth roles during his career. He is solid insurance in case of an injury, especially if he’s only needed as an in-game replacement.
Sam Franklin
Age: 27
Ht/Wt: 6-3, 210 lbs.
Stats: 67 tackles (three for loss), two pass breakups and a forced fumble in 47 games (five starts)
Franklin is known as a special teams ace. However, the Temple alum was given a rover role toward the end of Steve Wilks’ interim tenure last season. In a way, he’s similar to Chinn, as he’s a tweener who can play a few different sub-package roles.
The Panthers will keep Franklin around as their top special teams role player, but he could carve out a role as a defensive depth player with a strong training camp performance. He could be Chinn’s insurance policy at the “big” nickel spot.
The draft pick
Jammie Robinson
Age: 22
Ht/Wt: 5-11, 203 lbs.
Stats: N/A
Robinson is an undersized defensive back who can play safety and nickel corner. A feisty rookie, Robinson brings an intriguing attitude to the group. Since Bell, Woods and Chinn aren’t known for being “rah-rah” guys, Robinson is a complementary young figure within the group.
When the Panthers go to their dime package, Robinson could help at the nickel corner position, allowing Chinn to shift to linebacker. If Robinson can develop quickly, the rookie could be used as a filler at a few different spots to give Evero different looks in the secondary.
Robinson has earned strong reviews early in the offseason program. He also played well during the two rookie minicamp workouts that the media was present for earlier this month.
Camp competition
Vernon Scott
Age: 25
Ht/Wt: 6-2, 202 lbs.
Stats: 14 tackles (two for loss) and a sack in 18 games
Scott was signed following a successful tryout during rookie minicamp. His two seasons of NFL experience should help him as he looks to make the roster as a dark horse within a stacked group. Scott is a long shot, but he should receive plenty of playing time during the summer, especially in the preseason.
Myles Dorn
Age: 24
Ht/Wt: 6-2, 210 lbs.
Stats: Five tackles in 14 games
Like Scott, Dorn has two years of NFL experience to lean on. While the Panthers aren’t likely to keep more than five safeties, Dorn will try to stand out on special teams to force the team’s hand. Maybe Dorn or Scott can persuade the Panthers to keep an extra safety over an additional cornerback, especially with Rowe and Chinn’s secondary versatility.
