With 6-10 right around the corner"The nice thing about going 6-9 following a 6-2 start Donte Jackson Jersey Discount , with one more likely loss on the horizon, is that the Carolina Panthers can’t reasonably be anything but honest with themselves. While reports suggest that Ron Rivera is safe after this disappointing year, there is no amount of sources that will convince me that he has the opportunity to be complacent.The Panthers were bad this year, in spite of all of their potential. They were bad because they had noticeable talent gaps at crucial positions. We can dredge up some holiday banality to say that every player and every position on the team is important, but we can’t pretend that some guys aren’t more important than others. The positions that get paid more than the others —offensive tackle, defensive end, and, yes, quarterback— were the positions that let the Panthers down this year.Some of that was injury. OK, a lot of that was injury. But some of it was stick-in-the-mud coaching and some of it was management that failed to account for the passage of time when evaluating veterans who are closer to filing for social security than they are to registering for the draft.Rivera was loyal to a fault this year. It cost him a few games. Cam Newton was not capable of playing football at a high level during much of the Panthers losing streak. The time it took to decide to shut him down might not have cost the Panthers any games Donte Jackson Jersey Super Bowl , but it didn’t put them in a better position to win them, either.This off season is an opportunity for the Panthers to more honestly evaluate their chances, their recent decisions, and how to outlive their own faults. A new owner bought a playoff team and didn’t fire the coaching staff after they turned in a losing season. David Tepper is a rare gift to the career of Rivera. His patience may be a gift to the Panthers, fans and all. The Panthers need a free safety to pair with Eric Reid. Is Amani Hooker the right fit?"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Keep Sounding PodcastPanthers 2019 NFL DraftCSR Film RoomCarolina Panthers Film RoomPanthers 2019 NFL DraftFilm room scouting report on Iowa safety Amani HookerNew,37commentsThe Panthers need a free safety to pair with Eric Reid. Is Amani Hooker the right fit?EDTShareTweetShareShareFilm room scouting report on Iowa safety Amani HookerJeffrey Becker-USA TODAY SportsAmani Hooker played his high school football in Minneapolis, Minn. at Park Center High. Hooker was a three-star recruit and chose the Iowa Hawkeyes over Minnesota, Northern Iowa, and Wisconsin according to Rivals. During his three years in Iowa City, Hooker finished with six interceptions Donte Jackson Jersey For Sale , nine pass breakups, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, and one sack.Hooker is an elite athlete. He posted a 1.0 sigma, which landed him in the 84.5th percentile according to SPARQ.Film reviewHooker is not a scheme dependent safety. He played a variety of roles for Iowa’s defense in 2018. He matched up in man coverage against backs, receivers, and tight ends. He rotated into the box to monitor the short and intermediate areas. He also played deep safety as he patrolled the third or half of the field. Hooker is much more comfortable as a deep safety in a two safety shell (Cover 2/4). He is a smart player who reads route tendencies and also displays the range to cover ground.Hooker starts as a deep half safety. He gets into his backpedal, but he picks up on the corner route when the receiver sticks his foot on the ground. Hooker stays light on his feet, but then explodes to get in front of the receiver and pick off the quarterback.Hooker rotated as a nickel corner for the Hawkeyes too. He matches in man coverage versus highly rated wide receiver Hakeem Butler. Butler is a physical receiver, but Hooker also shows his physical nature by getting hands on him to disrupt the release. He doesn’t flip or change directions fluidly when in man coverage, but if a defense wants him to man up in the red zone Hooker is the guy.Hooker matches with the receiver in the slot after the motion. As mentioned above Donte Jackson Jersey On Sale , he struggles to flip his hips and change direction. Iowa asked him to play inside leverage based on his positioning, but the receiver still exposes him with a sharp cut. Fortunately, it wasn’t taken advantage of, but this is an area where Hooker has to improve. Hooker is an excellent reader of the game. He has high level instincts when he’s lined up in the box, deep, or at nickel. He reads the intentions of the quarterback before locating the route and cleanly tackling the opponent. Hooker has a good understanding of zone coverage, which allows him to make these quick decisions.Hooker did not impress as a run defender in the four games I watched. He is an aggressive player, but he consistently rook poor angles as he pursued the running back. His metrics as a tackler were not terrible, but he needs to play with more poise in run defense. He only had a 6.5% broken tackle percentage, which means many of the players he got hands on didn’t escape. His tackling form is fine Donte Jackson Jersey Sale , but he has to improve his pursuit angles.The good news is that pass defense is more important than run defense in today’s NFL, but coaches are still not going to enjoy the poor angles. Fit with CarolinaThe Panthers have a reliable box and run safety in Eric Reid. Hooker would add an element for their defense that they haven’t had in a while. His range, instincts, and zone awareness make him a perfect piece for Carolina’s defense. Rivera employs a diverse set of coverages, but Hooker proved that he can match up with receivers in man coverage. His best work comes in zone as a deep half safety. He could rotate into the box to disguise coverages too. The Panthers should strongly consider Hooker if he’s on the board in the second round.