{"id":59598,"date":"2019-03-01T08:30:29","date_gmt":"2019-03-01T13:30:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=59598"},"modified":"2021-03-20T14:56:03","modified_gmt":"2021-03-20T18:56:03","slug":"2018-carolina-panthers-defensive-end-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2019\/03\/01\/2018-carolina-panthers-defensive-end-review\/","title":{"rendered":"2018 Carolina Panthers Defensive End Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

This week we have been taking a look back at the defensive position groups of the 2018 Carolina Panthers<\/a>. It\u2019s no secret that the Carolina defense struggled to produce a pass rush this past season. \u00a0They will absolutely be looking to address this in free agency (unlikely) or the draft (much more likely). The Panthers ranked 27th in the NFL with 35 sacks in 2018, their lowest total since the 2011 season. 2011, where Greg Hardy<\/a><\/strong> and Thomas Keiser<\/a><\/strong> tied for the team lead with four sacks a piece and Carolina finished with 31 total. Let\u2019s take a look at how the defensive ends produced in Ron Rivera<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s defense in 2018 and why the Panthers will need to key in on this position in the coming weeks:<\/span><\/p>\n

Julius Peppers<\/span><\/h2>\n

2018 Stats: <\/b>Five sacks, six tackles for loss, 22 tackles, 75.9 Pro Football Focus Grade (#21 EDGE)<\/p>\n

2017 Stats: <\/b>11 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 33 tackles<\/p>\n

Julius Peppers<\/a><\/strong> announced this offseason<\/a> that he will be calling it a career after 17 NFL seasons. Peppers will go down as one of the all-time greats at this position and deserves recognition as a first-ballot Hall of Famer. <\/span><\/p>\n

His retirement leaves the spot opposite Mario Addison<\/a><\/strong> wide open with only two edge players (Efe Obada<\/a><\/strong> and Marquis Haynes<\/a><\/strong>) left on the roster to fill it. Regardless, no one will argue against the fact that it was probably the right time for Peppers to hang it up. His production dipped from 2017 to 2018 dramatically and the Panthers could find better uses for this cap space than a 39 year old defensive end.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

.@juliuspeppers_<\/a> 150th career sack is also a forced fumble \ud83d\ude24\ud83d\ude24\ud83d\ude24 pic.twitter.com\/9luWsBG3aa<\/a><\/p>\n

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) October 13, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n