The last discussion post I put up asked about the warmth of Ejiro Evero’s seat. He’s been fired in the meantime, so I’d say it was pretty hot. It comes after an okay performance against the Green Bay Packers, but that’s probably more a product of convenience than anything. The Panthers were on a short week, so if the decision was made after the Buccaneers game, it would make more sense to wait a few extra days and make the move after the Thursday night game.
In Ejiro’s place is Todd Wash. Wash overlapped
with Dave Canales in Seattle in 2011 and 2012. He spent time as defensive coordinator in Jacksonville and led three units that were top six in yards allowed per game before things unraveled under Doug Marrone. He’s been the defensive line coach in Carolina since 2023 and was retained when Canales was hired in 2024. Now he gets his shot at defensive coordinator. He’s talked about changing the approach a little bit, and today’s discussion questions centers around that idea.
How different do you expect the defense to look in the first week under Todd Wash?
MY TAKE: I think we’ll see a difference for a couple of different reasons. First, the approach is supposed to be different under Wash. Not in a 4-3 vs 3-4 way, which seems to be an obsession of reporters for some reason, but rather a proactive mentality rather than a reactive one. From everything I’ve gathered, Evero preferred his defensive line to try to read the play before making a move. This often requires the linemen to absorb blockers before attempting to make a play. Wash has said he wants the line to be more proactive, which would mean prioritizing breaking the line of scrimmage first and then making a play. In his first press conference, Wash said the latter is what a lot of the linemen here played before they got to Carolina. He avoided saying it outright, but the implication is that this more aggressive approach on the line is a better fit for the personnel.
On top of that, there are few better ways to galvanize a group of players than to fire their leader. Whether they were fans of Evero or not, the boss getting fired puts everyone on notice. There is going to be an extra bit of fire coming from all the guys, be it because of a fresh approach, a new voice, or the pressure imposed by the firing of someone in one’s vicinity.
A new approach doesn’t necessarily mean more success. I don’t necessarily think the defense is going to be significantly better in its first week with a new coordinator. I expect there will be missed assignments and some growing pains. But I do think we’ll see a more disruptive defensive line that will muck things up against a disjointed Broncos offense.
