Carolina Panthers defender put on notice after proving numbers can lie

The Carolina Panthers have certainly worked hard on their defense this offseason, which was much-needed considering it was the worst unit in history last year.

Part of the Panthers' makeover included overhauling the interior of their defensive line, as they signed both Bobby Brown and Tershawn Wharton in free agency.

That makes things complicated for fellow defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson, who signed a three-year deal with Carolina last offseason and ultimately had a strong-looking campaign when you look at his stat line, as he registered 80 tackles and 5.5 sacks.

However, Robinson is a perfect example to prove that surface-level numbers do not always tell the full story. He registered just a 54.6 overall grade at Pro Football Focus in 2024, posting a 54.1 mark against the run in spite of being billed as a run stopper upon joining the Panthers.

While Dean Jones of Cat Crave feels that the 30-year-old will absolutely be on the roster heading into 2025, he believes this could be his last chance to show that he belongs.

"Robinson will count $10.55 million against the salary cap in 2026, which is the final year of his deal," Jones wrote. "Cutting the interior lineman saves $8.5 million with $2.05 million in dead money. Unless there are drastic improvements, the chances of Carolina parting ways ahead of time are high."

Robinson is preparing to enter his 10th NFL season and is on his fourth team, so perhaps he has bounced around so much for a reason.

It will be interesting to see how the Panthers employ him as part of their defensive line rotation in 2025, as he played in 66 percent of the club's defensive snaps last season.