When the Panthers signed safety Tre’von Moehrig in free agency, bringing in the former Raider who had 104 tackles last season while showing the ability to play nickel, some thought he would take over that role here. And while it is still June with much to determine before the beginning of the regular season, it has instead been Smith-Wade still taking the first team reps from the slot during OTAs and minicamp.
Some of that has to do with a safety unit still working itself out. But a large part is also the Panthers’ comfortability with Smith-Wade.
“He communicates very well, he’s got intentionality about how he goes with his work. He’s gained a lot of experience,” defensive passing game coordinator Jonathan Cooley bragged of Smith-Wade this week.
“If you notice from the Cardinals game last year, the Tampa game, he started getting in a really good field down the stretch. It was a bummer he got hurt.”
But the rookie, heading into his second year, used the time on the sideline to dive into the scheme, learning it in whatever way he could. And by the time OTAs rolled around, Horn saw a teammate who had made the jump needed to take control of the secondary.
“He got the defense in one year,” Horn noted of Smith-Wade, “and he out there making the calls for the safeties. He played line up at corner, he lined up at nickel, he lined up at safety. He lined up everywhere. He’s just making a lot of plays.”