10 takeaways from Carolina's spring practices

[Sir Purr]

3. A formidable front


Is all the 3-4 talk a little overblown? Probably. Given how often defenses line up in their nickel package – and given the fact that Carolina experimented with multiple looks last year – this isn’t earth-shattering. But it’s different, and change is exciting, especially with all this speed up front.


You’re going to see a much faster defense this fall, with guys like Bruce Irvin, Brian Burns and Christian Miller added to the mix. And don’t forget about Marquis Haynes, another explosive rusher who is a much better fit in this scheme.


Combine all that speed with a front line of Kawann Short, Dontari Poe and Gerald McCoy, and yeah, there’s a lot of be excited about.


“We’ve added guys that bring a lot of – not only experience – but a lot of ability, a lot of talent and credentials,” Olsen said. “With Gerald, we know him. He was a pain in the neck to block every year twice a year for what seems like forever. Bruce Irvin was like our arch nemesis, trying to get ready to block him when he was in Seattle.


“With Burns and the young kids - Marquis coming on – offensively, you can tell they have a little something to them there on the defensive side of the ball, even when we’re not in pads.”


4. Is Gaulden golden?


So about that safety situation. Rashaan Gaulden, a third-round pick in 2018, had a solid spring and is positioning himself for the starting job alongside veteran Eric Reid.


But head coach Ron Rivera is eager to see the competition at that spot continue into training camp.


“The one position obviously is the free safety spot,” Rivera said, “and we’ve got to see who is going to step up and take that lead.”


And in a hypothetical scenario where Gaulden drops down to nickel, who then lines up at safety? There are a number of candidates vying for opportunities. It’s a battle we’ll all be keeping an eye on in Spartanburg.