{"id":764,"date":"2026-05-27T17:36:55","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T17:36:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=764"},"modified":"2026-05-27T17:36:55","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T17:36:55","slug":"carolina-panthers-oc-explains-why-chris-brazzell-is-a-fun-addition-to-offense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=764","title":{"rendered":"Carolina Panthers\u2019 OC explains why Chris Brazzell is a \u2018fun\u2019 addition to offense"},"content":{"rendered":"

Brad Idzik will call plays for the Carolina Panthers\u2019 offense<\/a> in 2026. And the 34-year-old offensive coordinator has an intriguing new ingredient to use when he\u2019s cooking up his play designs this offseason.<\/p>\n

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Chris Brazzell<\/a>, the team\u2019s third-round pick, is a long, lanky wideout with notable downfield speed. The passing offense has lacked a consistent speed threat at the outside receiver spot during the Dave Canales era, and Brazzell\u2019s arrival has offered the potential for that type of player<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, it\u2019s fun, man,\u201d Idzik said with a smile. \u201cIt\u2019s pretty obvious when you have a guy who\u2019s not only fast but a longer athlete, like Chris, that really stretches the safeties and makes them hesitate (in coverage) for one more second on driving on intermediate and underneath (routes).\u201d<\/p>\n

Brazzell caught 91 passes for 1,350 yards and 11 touchdowns during his two seasons at Tennessee. He averaged 14.8 yards per catch during that span.<\/p>\n

While his 4.37-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine was impressive, his tracking skills and long-end speed are also evident on film.<\/p>\n

That skill set can help both phases of the offense, according to Idzik.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of the best blocking you can do is inviting cloud coverage,\u201d Idzik said. \u201cSo, when you have a guy that can take the top off, more times than not, those safeties have to honor it by clouding or holding shell (zone) coverage to discourage the deep pass.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had that with DK Metcalf when we were in Seattle, we had that with Mike Evans when we were in Tampa,\u201d Idzik added. \u201cAnd then last year, you get guys like Xavier (Legette) and Jalen (Coker) and (Tetairoa McMillan) rolling on the outside, the safeties have to honor it and nobody loves that more than (run game coordinator) Harold Goodwin and the running backs.\u201d<\/p>\n

This summer, Brazzell will compete with Legette<\/a>, a 2023 first-round pick, to start opposite McMillan and Coker in three-receiver sets.<\/p>\n

If Brazzell can flash his size-speed combo throughout training camp and the preseason, he will be positioned for an important role, whether he leaps Legette on the depth chart or not.<\/p>\n

Second-year cornerback Corey Thornton appears to be a prime candidate to start at nickel corner<\/a> this season. Coming off a season-ending leg injury, the former undrafted free agent is getting reps in the slot during OTAs.<\/p>\n

Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero said he expects a big jump in production from all of his second-year defenders. But Thornton has been working diligently to get an increased role within the defense.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s one of the hardest workers I\u2019ve been around,\u201d Evero said.<\/p>\n

Thornton\u2019s competition this summer will be two-fold because of the way Evero uses the nickel position. The coordinator will use both cornerbacks and safeties in the spot, depending on the mismatch potential.<\/p>\n

Tre\u2019von Moehrig and Lathan Ransom, a pair of safeties, were used in the slot regularly last year. Chau Smith-Wade, the Week 1 starter at the position, also manned the nickel job for most of the campaign.<\/p>\n

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Thornton, according to Canales<\/a>, succeeded Smith-Wade at the position during last season but suffered his season-ending injury shortly afterward. Smith-Wade returned to the role while being spelled by safeties down the stretch.<\/p>\n

This season, with a full deck of defensive backs<\/a> \u2014 including rookies Will Lee and Zakee Wheatley<\/a> \u2014 Evero will decipher his best secondary combinations. The results could lead to a lot of mixing and matching at the nickel spot.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s no different than any other personnel group \u2014 you\u2019re trying to see what can give you a matchup advantage based on whether the tendencies are run or pass,\u201d Evero said. \u201cAre you trying to pressure or are you not? What coverage systems are you trying to run? Are you trying to be more man-y or zone-y? And so, all of those (questions) are being factored in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Evero and his defensive staff will lean on their personnel to find the best pre-snap looks. With versatile pieces like Thornton, Moehrig, Ransom, Smith-Wade and Isaiah Simmons on the roster, they\u2019ll have plenty of options.<\/p>\n

\u201cUltimately, we always try to start off from the standpoint of like, \u2018Who are our best players? Who are our difference-makers? What are the things that they do well?\u2019\u201d Evero said. \u201cAnd then with all of our players, \u2018What are the things they do well? How can we put them in situations that we can really highlight their skill sets?\u2019 And being able to play various people at the nickel position certainly allows people to \u2014 guys like Moerhig to blitz more, guys like Corey and Chau Smith-Wade to cover more \u2014 and so, we\u2019re just trying to highlight some of those things that the players do well. And then ultimately, trying to make it more difficult on the offense.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Panthers brought back a familiar face<\/a> this offseason. Tight end Feleipe Franks, who starred on special teams for Carolina in 2024<\/a>, returned on a one-year deal in free agency.<\/p>\n

Franks spent last season as an ace for the Atlanta Falcons. But with a new coaching staff in place in Atlanta, Franks headed back to Charlotte to continue his tour of the NFC South.<\/p>\n

Special teams coordinator Tracy Smith, who nominated Franks for the Pro Bowl in 2024, was a proponent of welcoming back the former college QB to the fold.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe had a great season, again, last year, as he had for us,\u201d Smith said. \u201cSo, when the free-agent list comes out, you try to get the best guys you can at every single position. My focus is one special teams contributors, of course. So, when you\u2019re asking, \u2018Who do you want at tight end?\u2019 It\u2019s hard not to say Feleipe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Franks posted 11 special teams tackles last year. In 2024, he had 10 takedowns on the Carolina coverage units.<\/p>\n

Smith is hoping Franks\u2019 trademark energy and grit can rub off on the rest of the special teams unit this summer and this season. Maybe the offense can benefit from those intangibles as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cLove him as a spirit and as an effort player \u2014 a contributor every single day \u2014 offensive and special teams,\u201d Smith said. \u201cSo, excited to have him back around the building.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more After going viral, one NC Republican backtracks on \u2018deadly force\u2019 abortion bill | Opinion<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Brad Idzik, defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and special teams coach Tracy Smith analyzed their depth charts Wednesday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":763,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-764","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nCarolina Panthers\u2019 OC explains why Chris Brazzell is a \u2018fun\u2019 addition to offense - \u0421harlotte Relocation Guide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=764\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Carolina Panthers\u2019 OC explains why Chris Brazzell is a \u2018fun\u2019 addition to offense - 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