Considering how inexperienced in the secondary they were to start the year, and then how thin they became after injuries, it doesn’t take much for the Panthers to see tangible improvement there.
So getting a key cornerback back had coach Ron Rivera feeling good about things.
“He’s progressed very well,” Rivera said, via Bill Voth of Black and Blue Review. “We’re pretty excited about him right now.”
Of course, the “him” in question is veteran nickel Leonard Johnson, who has made it through four straight practices in his comeback from Achilles surgery, and could be activated from the non-football injury list today or tomorrow.
Johnson, who spent three years in Tampa Bay and played four games for the Patriots last year, isn’t the kind of name that normally makes a coach light up. But considering the mess the Panthers secondary became when they replaced Josh Norman with three rookies and then injuries began to mount there, getting Johnson back is a relative boost.
They’re still unsure whether the best of the rookies (second-round pick James Bradberry) will be ready to come back from his turf toe injury, which has cost him the last two games. If he can’t go, the Panthers will be trying to stop their slide against the Cardinals with some combination of third-rounder Daryl Worley, Robert McClain and perhaps Johnson.
UPDATE 9:38 a.m. ET: The Panthers activated Johnson from the NFI list Friday, and placed special-teamer Teddy Williams (knee) on injured reserve to create the roster spot.