as mostly fizzled out. Here’s a look at where the Panthers stand in the aftermath."The Carolina Panthers entered free agency with only one real pass rusher Luke Kuechly Jersey 2019 , Mario Addison, and two offensive tackles, Taylor Moton and Matt Kalil, on their roster. They had no safeties to speak of. They had also had their generational, All-Pro center retire with no replacement in the wings. With limited cap space they managed to sign a defensive end, Bruce Irvin, an offensive tackle, Daryl Williams, a center, Matt Paradis, and a safety, Eric Reid. The front office didn’t have the resources to completely fill every need, but they gave as much attention as they could to each hole while maximizing value with each signing. Frankly Blue Ryan Kalil Jersey , they are in a better position than I expected them to be in with a month to go before the draft.The draft is the only real remaining opportunity for the Panthers to improve their roster. They probably have enough cap space to sign their rookies right now, but that’s about it. The rest of what they can do in free agency is churn the bottom of their roster with guys whose contracts won’t qualify as a Top 51 contract and thus won’t count against the cap.Where does that leave the Panthers?Still wanting pass rushers. The Panthers improved in free agency, assuming Williams can remain a healthy anchor for the right side of the offensive line, but they didn’t really change their needs. They still need at least one more defensive end, offensive tackle, and safety who can be expected to fill at least a rotational role. Their shrewdness in their free agency signings has lessened their needs and that allows them great flexibility to focus on their greatest one: defensive end.Yes, technically the Irvin signing gives them the flexibility to focus as much on interior pass rushers as edge rushers in the draft, but they already have talented guys on the interior. They need talent across the line if they are going to take that next competitive step to get back to actually winning play off games. Oh... man. I knew this day would come, but I always hoped it would come off the heels of a Super Bowl victory, or something that truly capped off and encapsulated what Thomas Davis fought so hard to make an incredible career. Instead, it comes on the back of a disappointing 7-9 season where the Panthers started off hot but quickly fizzled out. But Thomas Davis’ career has never been about storybook endings, national media attention, or Hall of Fame accolades. Davis’ career has always about being overlooked Ryan Kalil Jersey 2019 , undervalued, or on his last leg. Thomas Davis didn’t just Keep Pounding, he kicked the damn door down.I wrote this about Thomas Davis back in 2013, following a return season where he beat so many odds and managed to return following 3 ACL tears. Hopefully, you read it at the time, but if you didn’t, here are the cliff notes.I didn’t write that because I wanted any kind of attention, or wanted to capitalize on what turned out to be an amazing comeback for Davis, I wrote it because I truly believed Davis deserved the comeback player of the year award. And you know what? This dude deserves comeback player of the century in the NFL.Ever since that season, Thomas Davis has played at an elite level for an outside linebacker in his late 20s-to-early-30s, a time where most linebackers start to fall off. But for Davis, he didn’t just play over his age, he played over his body. He played at a higher level from 2014-2017 than any of us could ever imagine. He became one part of arguably the best linebacker tandem in modern football with Luke Kuechly 2019 Trai Turner Jersey , and in doing so finally realized some of the accolades he always deserved. Super Bowls, Pro Bowls, All Pro honors, national media attention for the first time in his career. Davis didn’t just return, he ARRIVED.If you handed me a textbook and asked me to look up what “linebacker play” would look like, I’d expect to see a picture (or a gif in the internet age) of Thomas Davis. He tackled the right way, he played coverage better than most in the league. Davis was a force every time he took the field, whether it was a close game, a blowout win, or a blowout loss. I can’t think of many times where I saw Thomas Davis and thought to myself “man, he really didn’t give his all on that play.”Thomas Davis is a player I personally invested in, because as a fan I went through that injury riddled journey, and was rewarded with high level football Blue Trai Turner Jersey , just like he was. Seeing him pick off passes to seal important games or blast a running back in the hole to force a fumble at a crucial moment became all the more special because THOMAS FREAKING DAVIS did it. And it is really a shame he didn’t get a chance to go out on top, because he deserved to just like many of the high level players who came before him. I once said that Thomas Davis symbolized “Keep Pounding”, and that he earned his stripe. Now, I believe Thomas Davis earned himself a damn statue.Davis taught me, personally, not just to Keep Pounding, throughout life and it’s struggles. He taught me that once you’ve gotten yourself out from underneath those struggles, to push yourself even further than simply being past them. We all have our struggles, whether it be work, life, love, family, they all cause us pain and they all can push us down to rock bottom. While the Keep Pounding moniker certainly applies to constantly honing your craft Blue Jarius Wright Jersey , yourself, and your life, Thomas Davis did it better. He didn’t just Keep Pounding, he kept excelling. Davis is a shining example of what a person can accomplish when they apply themselves the same way, with the same intensity, when things are bad, AND when they are good. Davis taught me not to simply accept getting over the hump, but be a better person on the other side once you get there.Don’t thank us fans for everything, Thomas. Thank YOU, for the memories, and the lessons we can learn.
