CHARLOTTE -- As with every area of the Panthers but one, the first-teamers from last year's 12-4 finish return intact for the 2008 season, with the most notable development among Maake Kemoeatu and Damione Lewis being the latter's recovery from postseason shoulder surgery. By the time the Panthers convened for minicamp on May 1, Lewis was able to practice; he wouldn't miss any of the 12 summer-school sessions that followed and was on track to be at full strength by the start of training camp.
The defensive ends who rotated inside from time to time last year are also back.
But if the Panthers have to delve into their depth, they'll have to go young. The core of the tackles aside from Lewis and Kemoeatu consists of three rookies and two players who spent time on the team's practice squad last year -- a quintet with a combined two games of NFL experience.
Among those, only 2008 draft pick Nick Hayden has any starts on his résumé, having been pressed into first-team service in Week 17 at New Orleans last December after Kemoeatu, Lewis and then-Panther Gary Gibson succumbed to injuries in the previous two weeks. The reserve tackles were rarely tested that day on the ground, as the Saints called passes on 51 of 62 snaps (82.3 percent).
Hayden and
While only one of the Panthers' three rookie defensive tackles was drafted -- third-rounder
Irvin, a 6-foot-3, 302-pounder from Georgia, blossomed last year for the Bulldogs when he finally became a starter, culminating a trek that included a two-year detour to Georgia Military College. His work as a Bulldog last year opened NFL doors -- he logged 4 tackles, 8.5 tackles for losses, three sacks, five quarterback pressures and a forced fumble. But Irvin credits hiss his military-school experience for making possible an NFL chance.
"Georgia Military taught me a lot -- from character to loyalty to just how to be a man," said Irvin, who admits he was "kind of lost" after completing high school in Augusta, Ga.
"Georgia Military was the best thing to ever happen to me. They gave me a second chance at life -- to just do what's right -- and, like I said, to be a man."
Fellow Southeastern Conference product Marlon Favorite had a more direct route to the NFL. He spent his entire college career at LSU, starting 17 games and playing in 40. He admits that the composition of the Panthers' depth chart -- which included no veteran free agent acquisitions this year -- influenced his decision to sign with Carolina.
"I took a look at the depth chart and the coaches were telling me about how they really needed a nose guard and how they wanted me to come in and compete," Favorite said. "It seemed like the perfect opportunity, so I didn't hesitate."
Favorite's advantage as he attempts to claim a spot on the practice squad or 53-man roster rests in a college environment afforded him the chance to study professional defensive concepts while playing both nose and three-technique defensive tackle.
"Coach Meeks' defense is extremely familiar, so (learning it) is not really a hard process for me," Favorite said. "So far, learning the defense has been pretty easy after the past years."
The other undrafted rookie signee,
"It's a substantial difference playing at a small school, and then you come out here and everybody's on your level," he said. "It's a pretty tough transition, but it's going to be a good one because it'll make me into a better player."
Harvey is also the Panthers' second-heaviest defensive tackle, checking in at 342 pounds. That's 28 pounds less than he weighed in December 2008, a loss that came with months of rigorous workouts and strict dieting.
"You know how some people say, 'Eat six small meals throughout the day'? Well, I'm eating three small meals throughout the day," Harvey said. "My last meal is at five o'clock, and that's a can of tuna with mustard in it.
"I realized that if I want to get to this level, I have to make a sacrifice."
Nothing worth having comes easy -- something all of the Panthers' defensive tackles will experience beginning at 9 a.m. Monday morning in Spartanburg.
