Carolina took a big hit too.
Posted Aug. 06, 2009 @ 9:17 a.m.
By Dan Parr
The Panthers' bid to repeat as NFC South champions took a major hit in the first week of training camp as DT Maake Kemoeatu went down with a torn right Achilles tendon. He underwent surgery on Wednesday morning and will miss the entire season, as the team placed him on injured reserve after the procedure. It's the type of injury that could hamper the 345-pounder into the 2010 campaign.
Kemoeatu is considered the key piece in the team's run defense, and his absence in the last two regular-season games of 2008 served as evidence of his impact. In the first 14 games of the year, Carolina limited teams to 4.1 yards per carry. In the two games Kemoeatu missed with an ankle injury, the opposition ran 52 times and gained 6.75 yards per carry.
The injury had a particularly painful sting because Carolina lacks experienced depth at tackle and doesn't have any obvious replacement to insert at the "nose" position. Aside from starter Damione Lewis, no other Panthers tackle has logged significant playing time in the NFL. Rookie Corvey Irvin and first-year player Nick Hayden are the primary backups at the position, but neither has the bulk or savvy necessary to fill the void left by Kemoeatu. There are certain to be a few intriguing veteran tackles available as teams begin making cuts as camps draw to a close, but the Panthers' options will be limited because they don't much salary-cap space.
"You lose that kind of guy and it's tough to find a guy that can replace him," one veteran evaluator told PFW. "I don't care what team you are; you can't prepare for the loss of a guy that is that key to your defense. He's a big widebody that helps keep guys off of (MLB Jon) Beason. They're going to have to have (Irvin and Hayden) really step up in a hurry.
"If they're out in the free-agent market, it's going to be a guy that is reasonable. There aren't many of those big bodies around. That's a problem."
Defensive coordinator Ron Meeks could also tinker with moving DEs Tyler Brayton and Charles Johnson inside. Brayton moved to tackle to make room for Johnson at end in passing situations last season. Regardless, one of the few irreplaceable members of the team has been lost.
Posted Aug. 06, 2009 @ 9:17 a.m.
By Dan Parr
The Panthers' bid to repeat as NFC South champions took a major hit in the first week of training camp as DT Maake Kemoeatu went down with a torn right Achilles tendon. He underwent surgery on Wednesday morning and will miss the entire season, as the team placed him on injured reserve after the procedure. It's the type of injury that could hamper the 345-pounder into the 2010 campaign.
Kemoeatu is considered the key piece in the team's run defense, and his absence in the last two regular-season games of 2008 served as evidence of his impact. In the first 14 games of the year, Carolina limited teams to 4.1 yards per carry. In the two games Kemoeatu missed with an ankle injury, the opposition ran 52 times and gained 6.75 yards per carry.
The injury had a particularly painful sting because Carolina lacks experienced depth at tackle and doesn't have any obvious replacement to insert at the "nose" position. Aside from starter Damione Lewis, no other Panthers tackle has logged significant playing time in the NFL. Rookie Corvey Irvin and first-year player Nick Hayden are the primary backups at the position, but neither has the bulk or savvy necessary to fill the void left by Kemoeatu. There are certain to be a few intriguing veteran tackles available as teams begin making cuts as camps draw to a close, but the Panthers' options will be limited because they don't much salary-cap space.
"You lose that kind of guy and it's tough to find a guy that can replace him," one veteran evaluator told PFW. "I don't care what team you are; you can't prepare for the loss of a guy that is that key to your defense. He's a big widebody that helps keep guys off of (MLB Jon) Beason. They're going to have to have (Irvin and Hayden) really step up in a hurry.
"If they're out in the free-agent market, it's going to be a guy that is reasonable. There aren't many of those big bodies around. That's a problem."
Defensive coordinator Ron Meeks could also tinker with moving DEs Tyler Brayton and Charles Johnson inside. Brayton moved to tackle to make room for Johnson at end in passing situations last season. Regardless, one of the few irreplaceable members of the team has been lost.
Comment