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Patrick Jones II sees Carolina Panthers building something special

The former Vikings’ pass rusher was one of the Panthers key free-agent additions this offseason. Could there be something positive going on in Charlotte?
Russell Baxter|
Nov 24, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Patrick Jones II (91) celebrates after defeating the New England Patriots after the game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Nov 24, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Patrick Jones II (91) celebrates after defeating the New England Patriots after the game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

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Carolina Panthers

Dave Canales’s team was on the field Tuesday for OTAs. The Carolina Panthers played a little game between the offense and defense based on a points’ system. When it was all said and done, the defense came out on top.

That’s not something you heard very often in 2024. The Panthers did win four of their final nine games behind a rejuvenated Bryce Young. However, Canales’s team set a dubious single-season NFL record by giving up an astounding 534 points. The Panthers only held one of their 17 opponents to fewer than 20 points.

General manager Dan Morgan had a busy offseason, and the emphasis was fixing Ejiro Evero’s unit. Be it free agency or the draft, Carolina was looking to aid the league’s worst defense in terms of total yards and rushing yards allowed. Morgan also needed to fix a pass rush that produced just 32 sacks in 2024—tied for the third-fewest in the league.

Patrick Jones II
Oct 2, 2022; London, United Kingdom; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Patrick Jones II (91) during the NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images | Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images

One of the key additions is edge rusher Patrick Jones II, who came up with a career-best seven sacks in his final season with the Vikings in 2024. He was on the winning side of the ball on Tuesday, and he noted the significance of this OTA.

“That’s what it’s all about, man,” said the four-year pro. “People take it real seriously. It is a serious game, but at the end of the day, it’s a game. So, whenever people get together, and you see the whole team celebrating like that and everybody having fun, that’s when you know that’s just the beginning of building something very special.”

The Panthers are certainly overdue when it comes to special. There’s been no winning season or playoff appearance since 2017. Jones, along with other newcomers such as veteran defenders Tre’Von Moehrig, Tershawn Wharton, and Bobby Brown III, as well as rookies Nic Scourton, Princely Umanmielen, and Cam Jackson, will look to change the defense’s misfortunes this upcoming season.

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Russell Baxter
RUSSELL BAXTER

Russell S. Baxter has been writing and researching the game of football for more than 40 years, and on numerous platforms. That includes television, as he spent more than two decades at ESPN, and was part of shows that garnered five Emmy Awards. He also spent the 2015 NFL season with Thursday Night Football on CBS/NFLN.