Panthers LB blasted by analyst after 'rough' debut in blowout loss

This offseason, the Carolina Panthers made a few major offseason additions to try to improve the defensive side of the ball.

Their biggest moves were the signings of Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd, both linebackers, albeit one an on-ball and the other an off-ball LB. While Phillips' Week 1 debut wasn't anything special, the same cannot be said for Lloyd.

Unfortunately, Lloyd's debut was special for all the wrong reasons. The Athletic's Daniel Popper blasted the new Panthers LB for his "rough" debut with the team, which featured Lloyd struggling in "all phases" of the game during Sunday's loss.

Devin Lloyd blasted for 'rough' Panthers debut

"Lloyd struggled in all phases," Popper writes. "He missed tackles. He got moved in the run game and was late to diagnose rushing tracks. He struggled in coverage, including on some zone looks. Lloyd had flashes as a blitz, but those moments were negated by Caleb Williams' pocket management and escapability."

That was not a good debut for Lloyd with the Panthers, as Popper called it a "rough debut" for the $45 million linebacker.

After making the Pro Bowl last season with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Lloyd moved a bit north to join the Panthers, and he's gotten off to a rough start.

While he tallied 13 tackles in one game, which is quite a lot, there really wasn't much to like about this performance. No interceptions, sacks, forced fumbles, fumble recoveries, passes defended, tackles for loss, or even a quarterback hit.

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He had three pressures, but they didn't amount to anything. The Chicago Bears offense still put up 59 points on the Panthers in a brutal Week 1 blowout loss.

It wasn't just his lack of production that stuck out; it was his poor coverage that hurt the team as well. He allowed a 140.8 passer rating when targeted, giving up six catches on seven targets for 58 yards and a touchdown.

This was not a good Week 1 for Lloyd on his new team. He needs to bounce back in a big way in Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons; otherwise, there are going to be some real big concerns with his game after just two weeks into a three-year, $45 million deal.

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