With the switch from a 4-3 base to a 3-4 one, the Carolina Panthers defense will have to answer quite a few questions heading into the 2023 season. But there’s no question, at least for DeShawn Williams, about how good the group can be.
After finishing up Wednesday’s installment of voluntary minicamp, the new defensive lineman was asked about coordinator Ejiro Evero—with whom he just worked under in Denver. Williams went on to laud the meat and potatoes of Evero’s system.
“It’s the same defense that I ran,” he said. “So I know the ins and outs of this defense. The players that we have and the vision that ‘E’ has for this team is scary. But, obviously, we have to put in the work each and every day. And that’s why we’re doing this minicamp—to lay the foundation and the groundwork each and every day.
“Right now, it’s not gonna be perfect—but we takin’ one percent better. That’s what Frank [Reich] says every day—one percent better. And we gettin’ better right now.”
Williams got himself better in 2022, when he had a career campaign for the Broncos. The big 6-foot-1, 292-pounder—who signed a one-year deal with Carolina—chalked up bests in sacks (4.5), quarterback hits (eight), tackles for a loss (four) and passes defensed (three) over 15 starts.
And now, he—and the rest of his new crew—are working the scary hours to get where Evero wants them to be.
