Panthers' D considering schematic changes

By Darin Gantt - Darin Gantt

CHARLOTTE -- Determined to increase the pressure they put on teams up front, the Carolina Panthers' defense is considering some schematic shifts to go along with their significant personnel changes.

According to two sources with knowledge of their plans, the Panthers are expected to go with a number of alignment changes, including swapping defensive end Julius Peppers from the left side to the right, the primary pass rush spot in most defenses.

Doing so should put Peppers in position to make more plays after a career-worst 2.5 sacks last season. He'll be facing left tackles (generally the better pass protectors) from the new spot, but he's also going to be attacking most quarterbacks' blind sides, which will create opportunities as well.

Team officials wouldn't confirm the shift Thursday night, but it would hardly come as a surprise based on several factors.

One, Peppers is the most accomplished rusher on the team (56.0 sacks in six years), and it's not close. The next three ends on the roster, Charles Johnson, Stanley McClover and Tyler Brayton, have a combined 7.0 sacks in eight combined seasons.

Peppers has played left end since he came into the league in 2002, largely because the Panthers had Mike Rucker entrenched on the right side when he arrived. They're hoping the move, coupled with some other minor adjustments, will help a pass rush that was nearly worst in the league in 2007.

The Panthers managed just 23.0 sacks as a team last season, next-to-last in the league. Of that total, only 14.5 came from linemen, and just 7.0 of those from players who return this year.

The other new wrinkle will be in the way they align their defensive tackles. By using Maake Kemoeatu as a nose tackle and Damione Lewis as the "under" or "three-technique" tackle, they're hoping to add more push from the inside. Both Lewis (18.5 career sacks) and Darwin Walker (28.5) are accomplished inside rushers, and they hope by putting them into more aggressive positions, they can make up for what they missed a year ago.