Carolina Panthers safety/linebacker/big nickel back . . . okay, we’ll just label him as a “defender” for now . . . Jeremy Chinn really hasn’t had a solidified or defined role during his three years in the NFL. But he may now, and it’s all thanks to a new friend.
NFL.com columnist Jeffri Chadiha recently named five players he believes will benefit most from his respective team’s offseason moves. Chadiha lists Chinn, who is happy to welcome in free-agent signing Vonn Bell.
He writes:
Chinn was on social media the minute NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported that the Panthers signed free agent safety Vonn Bell in March. Chinn surely knew all about the success Bell had in Cincinnati, where he paired with Jessie Bates to give the Bengals one of the best safety duos in the league. Bell can do the same thing with Chinn in Carolina, as the Panthers have a young defense that could easily become dominant this coming season. Carolina already has a gifted edge rusher in Brian Burns and a talented third-year cornerback in Jaycee Horn. Chinn has been a steady presence on the back end since his arrival in 2020, and the arrival of Bell means he can showcase his versatility even more.
Chinn, in fact, had a very similar sentiment himself. During his visit to the NFL Network studio a little over a week ago, the 25-year-old expressed his excitement over Bell and his role in defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero’s 3-4 base defense.
“Yeah, I’m super excited about it,” said Chinn, who was told he’ll be playing closer to the line of scrimmage. “I’ll be able to be around the ball more. So, that’s really exciting. Talking to Evero and Coach [Jonathan] Cooley, we have plans and I’m excited kinda for what they have me doing a little bit.”
The 2020 second-round pick has seen his usage from that spot fluctuate year in and year out. He chalked up 40.5 percent of his defensive snaps from the box in 2020, 50.2 in 2021 and 25.4 in 2022.
But with Bell joining Xavier Woods as a starter at the top of the unit, Chinn will be allowed to roam where he’s roamed best—from the middle of the defense.
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