CHARLOTTE -- It didn't take long during organized team activities for Charles Johnson to figure out the difference between Ron Meeks' defensive scheme and what the Panthers ran during the first two seasons of his career.
"Running," Johnson said. "We're going to do a lot of running this year. It's kind of simple, but there's going to be a lot of running, I'll tell you that much.
"It's going to be a big stepping stone for us, I think."
Running upfield. Running into space. Running from behind to chase down ballcarriers and jar loose the football. Meeks' defenses with the Colts excelled at these tasks, which helped them force 214 fumbles over the last seven years -- more than any other defense in the sport.
In that span, the Colts never failed to force at least 24 fumbles in a season -- an average of 1.5 per game. No other team could make that claim. For the Panthers' defensive linemen who have studied Meeks' scheme, the benefits of ceaseless pursuit are evident.
"I've always watched Indy; I've always watched (Dwight) Freeney and (Robert) Mathis and those guys and how they take off and how they have a relentless motor," said rookie defensive end Everette Brown.
The Panthers' first draft selection this year, the 256-pound Brown would seem to be an ideal fit for a scheme that emphasizes pursuit over pure power.
"When they are pass rushing and getting after the quarterback, they are going to do whatever it takes, and that's what Coach Meeks wants," Brown said. " That fits exactly into my style. That's what I believe. That's how I play every down."
Perhaps no returning Carolina defensive end might benefit more from the new scheme than the returning Pro Bowler of the group, defensive end Julius Peppers, whose contract status was the subject of countless questions and hours of public speculation before he signed his franchise-player tender on June 24.
Peppers' 2008 season -- in which he logged 14.5 sacks and forced a team-leading six fumbles, three times as many as anyone else on the defense -- certainly offered evidence that his 2.5-sack 2007 season was an aberration.
"He's a very competitive, prideful person that has always, through his actions, shown that he likes being a Carolina Panther; he likes being here; he likes his teammates," general manager Marty Hurney said.
One of those teammates, Johnson, found himself working up front during organized team activities, in which Peppers did not take part because he had not signed his contract. Johnson had six sacks last year -- second on the team -- and believes his third season might witness his breakthrough.
"When you play and participate more in practice, then you'll get better," he said. "It's all about repetition. Once you repeat it, you don't have any choice but to get better.
"I did all right last year. I'm going to come back this year and try to do better than I did last year. I try to build every year on what I did (the previous year)."
The same is true for
All of Carolina's defensive ends find their task altered by Meeks' scheme. But their new position coach, Brian Baker, has also affected their day-to-day work.
"(Baker helps) you get to focus on the negative things -- which for me is being a one-move guy," Taylor said. "I'm trying to pattern myself to be a guy that always keeps the offensive line guessing. When you keep the offensive line guessing, you'll have a good day."
And Baker keeps the defensive ends guessing from moment to moment at practice.
"Speaking for myself, I like change," Taylor said. "I don't like the same stuff every day. With Coach Baker, we've got drills thrown at us every day since mini-camp. For me personally, I like it, because you're working different things.
"We don't do drills just to do drill work. We're always working to do something. When you work on that individually and it carries over to team play, it becomes automatic and a natural movement."
If that happens, the Panthers would get the most from their defensive ends -- just as they would get the most from themselves.
