Breakout Season

[Xcaliber]

Sporting News put together a 2002 breakout team and Morgan and Grant made the team. They also put Danny Wuerffel on their team.


MIDDLE LINEBACKER

Dan Morgan, Panthers. Moving to the middle was the best thing for Morgan, given his physical makeup and desire to be in on every play. Panthers coordinator Jack Del Rio, formerly of the Ravens, says Morgan has better straight-ahead speed than any of the linebackers he coached in Baltimore.

SAFETY

Deon Grant, Panthers. He is finally coming around after missing the 2000 season with a fractured hip. If Grant learns to tackle better, he could be one of the Panthers' best defenders and a big playmaker.



Rest of the Team

 

[Piper]

Certainly plausable. Both have a great deal of speed. Both were big time playmakers at the college level.

We've got a high level of that dreaded P word on defense. If Peppers, Jenkins, and Grant work out, We'll end up being pretty good on D, no matter what our corners do.

I agree that Gold will be a playmaker. He's been sitting behind Romo too long. Brown is great when healthy. Leonard Davis is already great. And now that they have a line, Henry will flourish.

 

[magnus]

yep. Because you expect Rucker and Minter to be above average and solid, but neither are playmakers. Peppers makes plays, there's no damned doubt there. Morgan can make plays. Grant made more plays than anyone last year. Then hoping for at least solid play of Jenkins, like you said, and we're getting stout.
But yeah, corners still suck.

 

[meatpile]

Originally posted by magnus ver magnusson
yep. Because you expect Rucker and Minter to be above average and solid, but neither are playmakers. Peppers makes plays, there's no damned doubt there. Morgan can make plays. Grant made more plays than anyone last year. Then hoping for at least solid play of Jenkins, like you said, and we're getting stout.
But yeah, corners still suck.

Corners are unknown. And, considering how often our corners got beat last year, we may not suffer much.

Just being the optimist. It's May. I get to do that now.

 

[McFly41]

Even though our corners aren't as talented as we could have gotten, I think they will benefit more from playing up and aggressive than sitting back with the cushion.