CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Three days until unveiling his new 3-4 defense, Ejiro Evero met with members of the media at Bank of America Stadium.
With Sunday’s season-opening matchup at the Atlanta Falcons as a backdrop, the Carolina Panthers’ defensive coordinator addressed the slippery nature of OLB Justin Houston, why he expects NT Shy Tuttle to break out as a starter and how the Falcons’ gameplan looks.
Ejiro Evero speaks to the media https://t.co/2uuxJV7BMS
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) September 7, 2023
Justin Houston Adding Veteran, Pass-Rushing Depth
Houston, a four-time Pro Bowler, signed with the Panthers on Aug. 6 to bolster the pass rush opposite Brian Burns. Houston, who has collected 111.5 career sacks, continues adapting to the system and said in the locker room he was “excited to be here … I’m happy.”
“Oh, he’s a stud,” Evero said. “He’s a professional, first of all. He comes to work every day, do the work, takes care of his body, and studies. He’s great in meetings, great on the field. He’s another coach on the field and he still has a lot of ability left in his body.”
Carolina Panthers OLB Justin Houston almost slipped away … pic.twitter.com/BOgjOpn71D
— Jeff Hawkins (@WriterHawkins) September 8, 2023
Panthers NT Shy Tuttle Holding Down The Middle
In a preseason battle with mammoth nose tackle Marquan McCall, Tuttle was seen more as a potential rotational piece, considering he was 45 pounds lighter. But the Panthers cut McCall on Aug. 29 and moved Tuttle up to first team. Evero believed Tuttle was the best option.
“We’re always looking for the best combinations,” he said. “I would say this, the nose is important but so are the ends and so is everybody [else]. Our interior three guys specifically, we’re not really asking our nose to play dramatically different than our ends. The techniques carry over and at the end of the day, you want guys that are versatile. You don’t want to be limited by guys who can only play one spot.”
Carolina Panthers NT Shy Tuttle executes a drill during Thursday’s practice … pic.twitter.com/c2kcdxa7AV
— Jeff Hawkins (@WriterHawkins) September 8, 2023
Panthers Prepare For Athletic Falcons, Athletic QB Desmond Ridder
In the final days before the curtain opens on his new defense, Evero had a few things left on his to-do list. No. 1: Pray for Burns’ contract squabble to be settled. No. 2: Cap his game plan for the Falcons.
“I think they have a very challenging (defensive) scheme,” he said. “They got good players all over the place. Obviously, we know they’re going to run the ball. Everything says that. But they’ve got really good skill players and the quarterback (Desmond Ridder) has done a really good job as a second-year player continuing to grow, so it’s going to be a great challenge.”
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