In an offseason already full of reunions for the Carolina Panthers, new senior defensive assistant Dom Capers will make his on Wednesday—when he finally arrives back in Charlotte. But before his return, Joe Person of The Athletic was able to connect with the franchise’s first-ever head coach for a one-on-one interview this past weekend.
Person and Capers would, of course, touch on Carolina’s new defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero—whom the 72-year-old spent the 2022 campaign under in Denver. And he believes Evero is going to be a hit for the Panthers.
“He’s very intelligent,” Capers said of Evero’s scheme. “He’s a good leader. He’s great with the players. I think the guys will love playing for him, and he does a great job of mixing rush and coverage.”
Capers, when asked which of those guys will really benefit from Evero, also shared some praise for defensive end (and perhaps future outside linebacker) Brian Burns.
“I’ve always been intrigued by Burns as an outside rusher,” he said. “This defense over the years, we’ve had great success with the outside people and a lot of production out of them. And the production he had last year speaks for itself.”
Burns, who was named a Pro Bowl starter for the second straight campaign, just posted career-highs in sacks (12.5) and quarterback hits (22). Capers also mentioned defensive tackle Derrick Brown and cornerback Jaycee Horn, both of whom are coming off eye-opening seasons as well.
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