The Carolina Panthers defensive end position in 2018 is one of the rare stories in football that is told well by basic statistics. While setting the edge in run defense matters, the most important function of a defensive end in the pass-happy NFL is to rush the quarterback. The five players the Panthers rostered at defensive end combined for 18.5 out of the team’s 35 sacks for the season. This position should have been the bread and butter of their pass rush which, in itself, is the backbone of the team’s defense. The team ranked 27th in the NFL in total sacks. That their defensive ends provided just barely half of those sacks is the surest sign that they were one of the root causes of a disappointing season.

Addison was the highest paid defensive end on the Panthers last year and his play matched that status. He led the team with nine sacks and 11 tackles for loss. It’s impossible to single him out for not producing more when he was often the only threat that an offense had to account for on a given down.

The last year of a legend is often a quiet affair and Peppers wasn’t the exception to the rule. While we will always miss him as a presence off the field, the Panthers are getting worse only due to their own mismanagement. Most teams would be looking to replace a starting defensive end who only recorded five sacks and six tackles for loss. When that stat line comes from a 38 year old player, you would have expected a team to already have a young talent in the pipeline to inherit his role.

After being active for all 16 games in 2018 and with the Panthers for 6 seasons overall, I think the jury can finally rest on Horton. He is a journeyman who can be counted on to fill out the bottom of a roster. He posted 5.5 sacks in 2017 and looked like he could maybe combine with an aging Peppers to anchor the defensive line for one more year. Instead, his 2018 campaign generated 1.5 sacks and only two tackles for loss. He is currently an unrestricted free agent and re-signing him should not change any of the Panthers plans for the draft, free agency, or the Powerball.

We are all familiar with Obada’s unique and inspiring story. We are also familiar with how little football he has played prior to his NFL debut. Obada posted two sacks that were not technically impressive but displayed good speed and awareness. He was also responsible for an incredibly athletic interception. He is a promising player upon whom the Panthers organization cannot comfortably bet their future. 2018 proved that he can run with the big boys. 2019 needs to show that he can play with the professionals.

Tell me if you have heard this story before: Marty Hurney traded up in the draft to select an undersized defensive end who was projected to play in the NFL as a linebacker. That player then struggled to earn playing time. The good news is that the Panthers still have their 2019 first round pick. The bad news is that Haynes is the closest thing that the team has to an investment in young talent along their defensive line. He managed to earn a jersey on game day just four times in 2018 and turned his 46 snaps on defense into four tackles.

What’s left for 2019?

I’ve already outlined just how desperate the Panthers are at the defensive end position for next year. Only Addison, Obada, and Haynes remain under contract for the team. The team’s plans are a mystery right now. They have to make some moves at the position considering their extremely low level of investment at present. Haynes, a probable non-factor, is not only the highest drafted end on the team, he is the only one who has been drafted. Addison, an actual talent, is paid mid-tier starter money and is by far the highest paid player on the team at this position.

What the Panthers need to do and what they can do might not align closely enough to expect a turn around in just one year. They have only a small amount of cap space in free agency and a relatively deep draft to work with. The only thing we do know is that they will have to roster more than one athlete who is over the hill, one who is under-experienced, and another who is under sized to play defensive end.