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Panthers linebacker Jon Beason has had three surgeries in the last 17 months, leaving some to wonder if he’ll be the same player he was before injuring his Achilles, knee and shoulder in quick succession.

Beason is not one of the people harboring such doubts. He’s quite sure that he’ll be the same player he was pre-injuries and believes that he’ll be even better when he makes his return to the Panthers lineup.

“I’ll be better,” Beason said, via Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. “I can’t even fathom not being better than I previously was. Especially, when you get to this stage of your career, mentally you know how to prepare and those are the things that you’re focusing on more.”

You can’t fault Beason for his confidence, but it’s not that easy to see things playing out that way. He’s played just five games in the last two seasons, is likely to be limited in OTAs if he can play at all and will be switching positions now that Luke Kuechly has taken control of the middle. It’s too soon to put Beason, who turned 28 in January, out to pasture, but that doesn’t make it seem any more sensible to expect a higher level of play in 2013 and beyond.