{"id":188749,"date":"2024-09-08T11:10:40","date_gmt":"2024-09-08T15:10:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=188749"},"modified":"2024-09-08T20:58:02","modified_gmt":"2024-09-09T00:58:02","slug":"panthers-seek-more-defensive-pressure-help-jadeveon-clowney-searching-gain-greater-edge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2024\/09\/08\/panthers-seek-more-defensive-pressure-help-jadeveon-clowney-searching-gain-greater-edge\/","title":{"rendered":"Panthers Seek Greater Edge Help For Jadeveon Clowney"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The auditions continue.<\/p>\n<p>Throughout the offseason program, the Carolina Panthers tested several candidates to complement top-edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney. Their search? On-going.<\/p>\n<p>Entering Sunday\u2019s NFL regular-season opener at the New Orleans Saints, the Panthers planned to field three additional outside linebackers, DJ Johnson, Eku Leota, and rookie <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2024\/09\/08\/ravens-panthers-caleb-farley\/\" target=\"_self\">waiver-wire<\/a> pickup Jamie Sheriff. All remain unproven. None have recorded an NFL sack.<\/p>\n<p>The Panthers <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.statmuse.com\/nfl\/ask\/panthers-sacks-in-2023\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">produced the league\u2019s fewest sacks (27)<\/a> last season.<\/p>\n<p>Outside of Clowney, who will deliver pocket pressure?<\/p>\n<p>Dave Canales, who <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/nfl\/panthers\/nfl-carolina-panthers-coach-dave-canales-pregame-routine\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">prepared to coach in his first game<\/a> Sunday, remains curious.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe got a whole group, so we got to take that all the way to gameday,&#8221; Canales said. &#8220;We\u2019ve got a group of guys we\u2019re counting on. They\u2019ve had a lot of opportunities to show us what they\u2019re doing.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\u2066<a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Panthers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@Panthers<\/a>\u2069 OLB Jadeveon Clowney engages in a drill during Tuesday\u2019s <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/NFL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#NFL<\/a> mandatory minicamp \u2026 <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/aZwiG7mSAo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/aZwiG7mSAo<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Jeff Hawkins (@WriterHawkins) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WriterHawkins\/status\/1800730495182893105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">June 12, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2>Jadeveon Clowney Talks Up Peers<\/h2>\n<p>The first opportunity likely will go to Johnson, the 2023 third-round draft pick who suffered through a near-invisible rookie campaign. Listed as a Week 1 starter in defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero\u2019s 3-4 base defense, Johnson recorded just 16 tackles (six solo) and one pass defended in limited snaps last season.<\/p>\n<p>A <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.thecharlottepost.com\/news\/2024\/03\/29\/panthers\/jadeveon-clowney-cashes-in-on-panthers-homecoming\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">native of Rock Hill, S.C.<\/a>, Clowney told reporters he is pulling for Johnson.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think he had a great preseason, he was getting better during (training) camp,\u201d said Clowney, who has 52.5 career sacks. \u201cI\u2019m just looking forward to seeing him go out there and showing a lot of people up this year and proving a lot of people wrong.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I think he can do it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In his second professional season, Leota has yet to make an impact since leaving Auburn. In eight appearances last season, Leota totaled four total tackles, including two solo. He also contributed one-half of a stuff.<\/p>\n<p>Sheriff is a raw prospect who produced three preseason sacks for the Seattle Seahawks, before being released on cutdown day. An undrafted free agent out of South Alabama, Sheriff\u2019s effort caught the attention of Panthers general manager Dan Morgan.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve got a lot of guys that can go,\u201d Clowney said. \u201cDJ can go. Eku can go. There\u2019s a lot of good guys that can go. We just got to show it.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"><a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Panthers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@Panthers<\/a> LBs DJ Johnson (52) and Eku Leota (46) take a seat following Saturday\u2019s \u2066<a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NFL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@NFL<\/a>\u2069 training camp practice \u2026 <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/9Gs1bqNhx8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/9Gs1bqNhx8<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Jeff Hawkins (@WriterHawkins) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WriterHawkins\/status\/1819813721557876777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">August 3, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2>GM Dan Morgan Focusing On Edge Depth<\/h2>\n<p>The edge position likely will remain a work in progress for Morgan, who retains the top waiver-wire claimant through Week 3.<\/p>\n<p>In what appeared to be a salary-cap dump, the Panthers entered game week by <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/nfl\/panthers\/news\/dave-canales-explains-why-the-panthers-released-klavon-chaisson\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">cutting former first-round draft pick K\u2019Lavon Chiasson<\/a> and his approximate $2 million contract. While diminishing the depth of the outside linebacker room, the move helped Morgan get the Panthers under the NFL salary cap.<\/p>\n<p>Clowney\u2019s projected bookend starter, D.J. Wonnum (torn quad) remains sidelined and on the PUP list, along with Amare Barno (knee). Both will miss at least the next four weeks. Former top edge veterans Randy Gregory, Yannick Ngakoue, and Charles Harris remain <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.spotrac.com\/nfl\/free-agents\/_\/year\/2024\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">available on the free-agent market<\/a>. Harris worked out for the Panthers on Aug. 30 but was not offered a deal.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think somebody really needs to separate themselves over there,\u201d Morgan said.<\/p>\n<p>As long as Clowney remains healthy, Canales said he was confident the Panthers\u2019 front, led by defensive lineman Derrick Brown, will produce quarterback pressure, but the search for a proven OLB2 continues.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRight now, still, we\u2019re looking for somebody to step up and take that job,\u201d Canales said. \u201cSo this is not something where it\u2019s just like, \u2018Hey, you\u2019re the starter, here we go.\u2019 This is like, \u2018Show us. Show us what you\u2019re about.\u2019 \u201c<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\u2066<a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Panthers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@Panthers<\/a>\u2069 pass rush specialist Jadeveon Clowney takes a breather during <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NFL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@NFL<\/a> voluntary minicamp April 24 \u2026 <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/KeepPounding?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#KeepPounding<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/JaS64yRG60\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/JaS64yRG60<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Jeff Hawkins (@WriterHawkins) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WriterHawkins\/status\/1801338713076556150?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">June 13, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The auditions continue. Throughout the offseason program, the Carolina Panthers tested several candidates to complement top-edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney. Their search? On-going. Entering Sunday\u2019s NFL regular-season opener at the New Orleans Saints, the Panthers planned to field three additional outside linebackers, DJ Johnson, Eku Leota, and rookie waiver-wire pickup Jamie Sheriff. All remain unproven. None [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4299,"featured_media":188821,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[30,36],"tags":[329,1473,309,40,7661,32803],"class_list":["post-188749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-panthers","category-nfl-news","tag-carolina-panthers","tag-jadeveon-clowney","tag-new-orleans-saints","tag-nfl","tag-panthers-featured","tag-season-opener"],"modified_by":"Drew Crabtree","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188749","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4299"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=188749"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188749\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/188821"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=188749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=188749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=188749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}