Carolina Panthers: Steve Wilks Keeps Consistency in Defense
Promoting Steve Wilks to defensive coordinator is the right move to keep the foundation in place for the Carolina Panthers.
Change is one of the major terms welcoming the Carolina Panthers this off season. As the team watches the NFL Playoffs from the comfort of their homes, the organization has a number of issues to address. One of those was how the team would replace former defensive coordinator Sean McDermott. The Panthers looked internally to fill the void with former player and longtime assistant coach, Steve Wilks.
With McDermott being introduced as the new coach of the Buffalo Bills, the Panthers needed to find a way to keep this defensive unit intact with their new hire. 2016 wasn’t the greatest year for the entire defense. Even though the group had some bright moments, the group often found itself in positions in which it was unable to rally.
The defense lost their reputation as a force to be reckoned with as the year wore on. Hopefully, promoting Wilks to defensive coordinator gives this unit a chance to keep much of the foundation that has brought on recent success.
The change at defensive coordinator comes at a moment of concern for the Panthers. Questions regarding Luke Kuechly’s health and the developing defensive backfield loom as concerns that Wilks has to face and address. One positive point, though, is that Wilks has more than a decade of coaching experience at the professional level and been a part of the Panthers organization since 2012.
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There was a chance that the Panthers could have lost Wilks to the head coaching position with the Los Angeles Rams, but that’s obviously turned out not to be the case. Veteran linebacker and vocal leader in Carolina, Thomas Davis, gave his approval of the promotion for Wilks.
“They know that in order for us to be successful, they have to be successful and put us in good positions. Coach Wilks understands that as well as Coach McDermott did,” Davis said, as reported by David Newton of ESPN. “He’s had to address the team, and you can just see the passion that he has. He commands everyone’s attention when he steps in front of you, so we know that once he takes over, it won’t be a drop-off.”
That is a major point of concern that stands to be seen in the near future. Carolina has to sure up the defensive side of the ball, especially as free agents like Kawann Short, Mario Addison and A.J. Klein are up for contract negotiations. Giving Wilks the opportunity to run the defense is a positive move that helps keep some consistency within the organization. The Panthers have done a good job keeping several players in key positions. Subsequently, giving Wilks the promotion to defensive coordinator speaks to their commitment in keeping the successful parts of the organization in Charlotte.
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Wilks has a talented group in front of him within this Carolina Panthers defense. It will be interesting to see how he strengthens this unit and gets them back to playing the way they did during the 2015 season. Leadership and the players’ wishes are behind this selection and it’s the right move to keep consistency prevalent throughout the Charlotte-based organization.