The Carolina Panthers made moves in free agency to bring in Da’Norris Searcy and Ross Cockrell to the secondary.
The Carolina Panthers continue to move with a sense of urgency this offseason as they add multiple pieces to the roster through free agency. Da’Norris Searcy and Ross Cockrell are the two newest names to join a defensive secondary that’s still looking for an identity after losing some big names in recent years.
News was announced on Friday that the organization added Searcy and Cockrell with two-year deals. This comes on the heels of losing Kurt Coleman and Darryl Worley to rebuilding efforts earlier this offseason. When coupled with the loss of Josh Norman after the 2016 season, Carolina is still longing for another shutdown player in the secondary.
In Searcy, the Panthers are getting a veteran player with seven NFL seasons under his belt. Plus, they are bringing back an individual with ties to the area as he played at North Carolina. In his seven seasons, Searcy has collected eight interceptions, forced four fumbles with three recoveries, and 4.5 sacks.
Coleman was a standout at the safety position and Searcy has his work cut out for him. While Coleman did benefit from a system and defensive unit that helped his production, the Panthers are still expecting a lot from him in this new role.
Cockrell comes to the Panthers with four years of experience as a cornerback. He last played for the New York Giants and was a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills before that. In that time, he put together five interceptions with one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.
The corner finds himself in this position thanks to Bashaud Breeland failing a physical. He was expected to replace Worley, who is now a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. Cockrell comes with the experience and has shown the ability to perform well. He should be a good match to start opposite of James Bradberry, who has continued to excel since being drafted two seasons ago.
Last season, Carolina’s defense secondary struggled to keep up with past performances. The unit allowed 229 yards per game, placing them 18th in the league. They also struggled with allowing for large gains to come through the air, limiting their ability to get off of the field in third-down situations. Opposing quarterbacks completed 63.8 percent of their passes, putting the Panthers at 21st in the NFL. One of the more telling stats is that Carolina only secured 10 interceptions as a team, one of their lowest outputs in recent memory.
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Rebuilding the defensive secondary has been a work in progress for the Carolina Panthers the last few seasons. Last year they made additions through the draft and this year the front office took to free agency to bring in two new pieces. Ross Cockrell and Da’Norris Searcy are the two newest members of the defensive secondary. Carolina is looking to get back to their status as one of the most feared defenses in the league and these two men will have to contribute early is that’s going to happen in 2018.