Panthers: Defense still performing without star end

The Carolina Panthers placed defensive end Greg Hardy on the exempt/commissioner’s permission list on Wednesday amidst his conviction and appeal of the domestic abuse charges brought against him. This is the same list All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson was placed on with nobody sure when each will return to action.

Hardy posted a gaudy 82 QB disruptions in 2013 and finished 9^th among all defensive ends in Pass Rush Productivity (PRP) with a 12.1 mark. That is a lot of pressure to make up for.

Last week however, against Detroit’s usually solid O-Line, the Panthers pass rush held their own with a decent 16 QB disruptions including five from Hardy’s replacement Mario Addison in only 35 pass rush snaps. While the four sacks he picked up painted a somewhat flattering picture (all being of the late or clean-up variety) the plays still needed to be made.

This is not a new occurrence as Addison and Charles Johnson finished 10^th and 11^th respectively right behind Hardy in the 2013 PRP defensive end ranks. The Panthers have other options after drafting Kony Ealy in the second round although, despite a relatively productive preseason, he generated zero pressure last week vs. Detroit.