Competing in the modern NFL is a complex task that requires a ton of moving parts to work towards a common goal. Plenty of promising teams crash and burn because they don’t have the right chemistry or leadership to carry them to the playoffs, let alone a championship game.
Coaching has always been a huge factor in how well teams do, especially young ones. Succeeding in this area is about much more than just knowing how to create a game-plan or using the talents on the roster in the right way. Personal relationships are also a critical element. In a previous era, some coaches could succeed with the old-school, bullying Bill Parcells method. These days, players need to be treated like professionals and like men, or it just won’t work.
Panthers coach Matt Rhule seems to have gotten off on the right foot in this particular area of his job. Here’s what free safety Tre Boston had to say about Rhule in his interview last week on Ian Rapoport’s podcast.
“I’m excited to see him more in person with the guys, because right now, I think he started with a nice lead because he has a nice momentum going in between how he’s treated us, how he’s respected us, how he respects our time. That means a lot to professionals and men, adults, as well. So, I think Rhule has set himself up for success with his men. We trust him. We believe in him. And when we get together, it’s all about building chemistry and knowing that we are the Carolina Panthers and we’re gonna do what it takes to win ballgames around here.”
Building that trust with his players has been an especially difficult challenge for Rhule this offseason, as he hasn’t even been able to meet most of them in person yet due to the pandemic. Boston’s comments are a good sign that he’s going about things the right way, though.
Speaking of Boston, he’ll have to take on a bigger leadership role this year himself. At 27 years old, he’s the oldest defensive back on the roster.
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