Who will start in the backfield, Deangelo Williams or Jonathan Stewart?
My money is on Deangelo. He’s my favorite of the two backs, due to his speed. Williams reminds me of Marshall Faulk in terms of open field speed. Stewart is a grind it out back that can also break a long run. Both backs rushed for 1100 yards last season, a NFL record. Teams will gear up against the run when playing the Panthers, sometimes even putting an unheard of nine guys in the box to protect against “Double Trouble”. You know the cool thing about it? The Panthers don’t care. I’ve watched them do draw plays on 3rd and 10 and get 13 yards on it. They believe. The running backs and the offensive line are top five in the NFL, talent wise. • Who will replace Julius Peppers? The quick answer is no one. Defensive Coordinator Ron Meeks will use a rotation of players including DE Tyler Brayton, DE Charles Johnson and DE Everette Brown. Brown will be used primarily for passing downs though. Look for most of the pressure to come from the linebacking group and the secondary on zone blitzes. •
