Ron Meeks' new defense has provided plenty to keep 
CHARLOTTE -- No player ever wishes for injury, but dealing with it in the offseason is considerably less painful -- both for the body and mind. That's especially true when the mind is busy absorbing the details of a new defensive scheme.
Learning Ron Meeks' new defense has been enough to keep safety Chris Harris occupied, even after offseason shoulder surgery shelved him for the Panthers' three-day minicamp earlier this month.
"We're getting a lot of classroom work," he said. "We're just watching film and things of that nature, trying to get ready."
In addition to his rehabilitation work, Harris devotes his Tuesdays and Thursdays to the absorption of Meeks' plans. The system favors swarming and manic pursuit, a philosophy underscored by how Meeks opened minicamp by encouraging his players to energetically dash onto the field from the sideline.
"Our guys are an energetic bunch anyways," said head coach John Fox, "and I think they've been very receptive."
Even when they could only watch as their teammates got the early introduction to the new scheme.
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"Guys flying around to the ball -- that was (Meeks') main thing," Harris said. "We're going to make mistakes; we're putting in a new defense. But if you make a mistake, do it full speed. That's one thing he's beat home.
"We're going to run to the football. We're going to gang-tackle. When you run to the football, good things happen."
It ought to play into Harris' ability to force fumbles; he has 10 in his two seasons since joining the Panthers via a 2007 preseason trade with the Bears. Safeties have generally flourished under Meeks; several became standouts with Indianapolis' Bob Sanders earning NFL Defensive Player of the Year plaudits in 2007 -- becoming just the fourth safety to ever win the award.
Harris hopes to get his first on-field taste of the scheme sometime during the Panthers' organized team activities, which begin after Memorial Day.
"I'm ready. I might get a little taste of OTAs coming off shoulder surgery, so I'm excited," he said.
