Tag: Jeremy Chinn

Jeremy Chinn’s role to be ‘a bit different’ under new DC Ejiro Evero

It seems as though the Panthers are going to get pretty creative with Jeremy Chinn in 2023.

Jeremy Chinn isn’t even 100 percent sure about what to call his new position in the Carolina Panthers defense. But he does know that it’ll be new.

The fourth-year safety linebacker defender took the podium following Wednesday’s Fan Fest outing. When asked how he would define his position in Carolina’s transition to a 3-4 base, he refused to nickel-and-dime it.

“A nickel, a dime. But I feel like that puts it in a box a little bit,” he said, via Joe Person of The Athletic. “To say nickel doesn’t really do it justice.”

Chinn tried to do it justice by stating it’ll be “a little bit different” and “closer to the ball.” The former second-rounder played more as a free safety in 2022, seeing 25.4 percent of his snaps come from the box as opposed to 50.2 in 2021 and 40.5 in 2020.

And if he is indeed closer to the snap, Chinn has already expressed his excitement for the fresh plan under new defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.

“Yeah, I’m super excited about it,” Chinn said back in March. “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.”

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‘Madden NFL 24’ ratings for Panthers safeties revealed

We’re not really sure if Jeremy Chinn is a safety anymore. Nonetheless, he and the rest of the players at the position had their “Madden NFL 24” ratings revealed on Monday.

The Carolina Panthers’ safety room includes one of the best at the position, a young dawg and a guy who may not actually be much of a safety anymore. But for whatever they all are, their “Madden NFL 24” ratings were revealed on Monday.

Check ’em out:

Panthers amongst teams most likely to break playoff drought in 2023

With a new head coach and a new No. 1 pick under center, the Panthers could be primed to break their five-year playoff drought this upcoming season.

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Do the Carolina Panthers have the pieces to solve their playoff puzzle? NFL.com contributing columnist Adam Schein thinks they may.

On Wednesday, Schein named the five teams most likely to break their long postseason droughts. In at No. 5 are the Panthers, whose aggressive offseason could lead to immediate contention:

I love Bryce Young. The No. 1 overall pick displayed rare processing ability and pocket presence at Alabama — that’s the kind of stuff that translates to the NFL level, size concerns be damned. I also love Frank Reich. The head man put together an all-star coaching staff with numerous QB whisperers to foster Young’s development.

The offensive line isn’t bad, while the defense has immense upside with enticing talents at all three levels (SEE: OLB Brian Burns, DT Derrick Brown, LB Frankie Luvu, CB Jaycee Horn and S Jeremy Chinn). The thinnest area on the roster is at the offensive skill positions. This does concern me, given that Carolina is poised to start a rookie under center.

The Panthers did do quite a bit of work on those offensive skill positions this offseason—adding the likes of running back Miles Sanders and wideouts Adam Thielen, DJ Chark and second-round pick Jonathan Mingo. But that receiving group, while intriguing, is void of a clear No. 1 option for Young.

Nonetheless, Schein thinks it may not be too large of a roadblock towards a playoff berth—which would be their first since 2017:

I expect the Panthers to be brilliantly coached and take a step forward this year. They could be in the hunt for a wild-card spot in a watered-down NFC, but 2024 might be the real breakthrough year.

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Panthers’ secondary in lower half of PFF’s positional rankings

The Panthers’ secondary didn’t place too well in PFF’s new rankings.

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The back of the Carolina Panthers defense is pretty solid—in both play and name value. But that’s as long as you don’t poke any more holes in its frontline.

Pro Football Focus released its secondary rankings ahead of the 2023 season. Coming in at No. 21 is Carolina’s—which boasts the likes of cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Donte Jackson and safeties Jeremy Chinn, Vonn Bell and Xavier Woods.

PFF’s John Kosko writes:

The Panthers’ secondary has the pieces, with two first-round picks and three second-round picks, but they’ve not yet put it together in the NFL. Horn came on strong in his second season and allowed just a 52.6 passer rating on throws into his coverage over the year. The free-agency signing of Bell will help, but the biggest change this team made was to bring in new head coach Frank Reich and his new staff.

That new staff features defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who will be employing a switch to a 3-4 base for the unit. And while the transition and Evero’s track record of coaching up his groups are signs of hope, there’s a reason why the Panthers are 21st on this list.

Outside of Horn and Jackson, who are both currently recovering from foot injuries, there’s not much to speak of at the cornerback spot. Their depth features CJ Henderson, Keith Taylor Jr., Stantley Thomas-Oliver III and three undrafted rookies.

Plus, Chinn—despite his talent and versatility—doesn’t have a defined role just yet. Heck, he might even be playing as more of a linebacker in 2023.

So it seems, from now until the season actually starts, that there’s a lot of figuring out to do for Carolina in their secondary.

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Jaycee Horn, Jeremy Chinn named Panthers’ best duo

Jaycee Horn and Jeremy Chinn were named the Panthers’ most powerful one-two punch.

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Which two Carolina Panthers make for the team’s best pairing?

CBS Sports NFL writer Jeff Kerr just got to the bottom of that of that—for the Panthers and the rest of the league’s teams. He named 32 dynamic duos using the following criteria:

  • Play on the same side of the ball
  • Contribute to the team’s offensive or defensive success
  • Can be from the same position, but not a prerequisite
  • Can be the two best players on that particular side of the ball
  • They don’t have to play an official game together (so rookies and free agents are included)

Rookies, huh? Well, while using Bryce Young may be tempting, Kerr instead opts for the other side of the ball in cornerback Jaycee Horn and safety Jeremy Chinn:

While the Panthers are rebuilding their offense under Frank Reich, the defense has some playmakers who can make a huge impact in the NFC South. Horn allowed just a 35.8 passer rating in coverage last season, with no touchdowns and three interceptions. He was only targeted 51 times last season.

Chinn played just 11 games last season, but had 70 tackles, a sack and six passes defensed. He didn’t have any interceptions, but opposing quarterbacks had just a 73.6 passer rating targeting Chinn.

Both players are linchpins of the Carolina secondary.

Both players also, obviously, experienced the effects of the ol’ injury bug in 2022. Horn and Chinn missed a combined 10 games, as the former sustained a rib strain and a broken wrist while the latter dealt with a bum hammy.

But, as Horn himself said, they have to be available for the Panthers to progress. And if they are, opposing offenses will have to take on a pretty tough one-two punch week in and week out.

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Panthers’ projected defensive depth chart following minicamp

Here are our projections for the Panthers’ current defensive depth chart as we move on from mandatory minicamp.

So, how’s the Carolina Panthers defense looking after spring workouts? Here are our projections for their current depth chart as we head out of mandatory minicamp and into summer break.

Panthers LB coach Peter Hansen: We have to figure out what cape Jeremy Chinn will wear

Panthers LB coach Peter Hansen told reporters that Jeremy Chinn is a superhero that he, DC Ejiro Evero and the rest of the staff have to figure out how to use.

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There’s a lot of “new” when it comes to the Carolina Panthers defense in 2023. They have a new defensive coordinator, a new defensive coaching staff, a few new players and a new scheme.

So, what should we except to see from Ejiro Evero and—at least to some fans—his mysterious unit? Linebackers coach Peter Hansen, who is also new to the organization, gave us an idea on Wednesday.

“I think the main thing we can expect is just the effort from the guys,” he said during his first presser in Carolina. “That’s No. 1 emphasis at this point of the year. It was an emphasis the entire year last year. And to do that within the defense, we don’t wanna give ’em a ton to think about play to play. We just want them to be able to fly around and use their ability.”

Another mystery for the Panthers surrounds the ability of Jeremy Chinn, who doesn’t have a defined role in the defense just yet. But Hansen had a pretty heroic way of looking at it.

“We’ll see,” he replied when asked of Chinn’s usage. “At this point, obviously, we haven’t gotten that far. But we’ll see what the future holds. Like a lot of our secondary guys, we see him a superhero. We just don’t know which cape he’ll wear from day to day.”

With the team’s switch to a 3-4 base as well as the addition of safety Vonn Bell, Chinn may no longer be roaming the secondary like he’s done in years past. He could, rather, move down closer to the line of scrimmage and play more as a linebacker in the middle of the group.

Whatever the case may be, Evero—who spoke about Chinn last week—also sees the fourth-year defender as a valuable weapon. They just have to figure out how to use his superpowers for good.

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Panthers DC Ejiro Evero keeping Jeremy Chinn’s role under wraps

Panthers DC Ejiro Evero can not yet disclose exactly what role Jeremy Chinn will have in 2023.

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What do we even refer to Jeremy Chinn as these days?

Is he still a safety? Is he a linebacker now? How about a nickelback?

If you’re looking for an answer, don’t ask new Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.

ESPN’s David Newton tried that on Tuesday afternoon, when Evero took the podium for a few questions following some practice work earlier in the day. But Newton’s inquiry wouldn’t result in a firm answer.

“Well, we don’t wanna talk too much about that,” Evero replied. “I’ll say this—we think very highly of him and I think he’s a heck of a player. He’s a weapon that we’re definitely gonna try to utilize. And I know that he’s an asset for us to have.”

Newton then asked if the Panthers would try to use Chinn in a “more traditional sense.” That, too, failed to yield a definitive response.

“I don’t wanna get too much of the specifics,” Evero added. “But we just value his skill set. He’s a guy that can do a lot of different things and you just gotta have him on the field. And we’re gonna figure that out as we work through.”

Evero will be implementing a bit of a switch for Carolina on defense, as they’ll transition from a 4-3 base to a 3-4. The team’s free-agent signings of safeties Vonn Bell from this offseason and Xavier Woods from the last—both of whom are projected as the starters at the position—will also factor into Chinn’s future.

But whether he’ll still be considered a safety or get down closer to the line of scrimmage, Evero seems intent on getting the versatile playmaker involved. So, until we get to that point, perhaps we’ll just call Chinn that.

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WATCH: Panthers release teaser for 2023 schedule reveal

On Monday night, the Panthers gave us a sneak peek into the production of this year’s schedule reveal.

One of the most anticipated events away from the actual playing of football, especially for Carolina Panthers fans, is the regular-season schedule release. And it’s not so much anticipated for what’s on the schedule, but more so for how it’s delivered.

The organization’s social media team is amongst the very best in all of professional sports, and has continuously brought the heat with its production of the annual reveal. And on Monday night, about 72 hours before the official 2023 drop, they gave us a little teaser starring defensive backs Donte Jackson and Jeremy Chinn.

As for the grander scheme of the entire slate, this year’s release will have a few notable differences. They are, per ESPN insider Adam Schefter, as follows:

Plus, as is always the case, we’ll get a few leaks before 8 p.m. on Thursday night. Here are the times and places for the official sneak peeks, courtesy of the NFL:

  • International Games – Wednesday, May 10 on NFL Network and ESPN
  • Black Friday Game – Wednesday, May 10 via Amazon
  • Select individual games – Wednesday, May 10 on CBS Mornings and Fox & Friends
  • Select individual games – Thursday, May 11on NBC’s Today Show and ABC’s Good Morning America

So turn your phones to vibrate and get that popcorn ready.

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