Jon Beason coaching up Panthers teammates

Sitting on a concrete bleacher Friday morning prior to the Carolina Panthers' final player-organized offseason workout at Charlotte Christian, linebacker Jon Beason was asked if he felt like the team's unofficial defensive coordinator during the lockout.

"Some might say that," Beason said, a smile crossing his face.

"I'm not going to say it myself. If someone else says it, I appreciate it."

Beason was happy to be back playing and thinking about football, even if the lockout was still in effect and there was no guarantee training camp and the NFL regular season would begin on time. Coming off a 2-14 season in which he was moved to outside linebacker after the injury to Thomas Davis and had the lowest tackle total in his NFL career, Beason spent a portion of the offseason facing a civil assault trial.

A jury found no evidence Beason had assaulted Gregory Frye in a 2009 incident at a local night club. It was a legal and personal victory for Beason.

"When you're going through something like that, it's tough, especially when you're in the public eye," Beason said. "I'm sure there are a million civil cases a day that might have a little insert in the newspaper or something like that but nothing on a mass scale.

"I'm getting calls from Miami and from friends in California talking about it. To get it behind me is a relief."

Beason was one of the leaders of the offseason workouts, which drew approximately 50 players daily. Beyond the on-field conditioning and scheme work, the Panthers broke into offensive and defensive units in a portable building near the private school stadium.

That's where they worked through the basics of new playbooks that will be installed by coach Ron Rivera and his staff. It also allowed veterans such as Beason to work with younger players, who will be fighting for jobs when training camp begins.

"It felt good," Beason said of his teaching role. "I've always had a passion for coaching. To get up there in front of the defense was kind of fun.
"The thing about it is when we do it, we kind of leave it open for questions. It's like, 'How do you guys want to do it?' There are some things in the playbook you may not agree with but, for now, it's our meeting so we're putting it in the way we want."

Due to the lockout, Beason has had only one meeting with Rivera. Once a resolution is reached to the NFL's labor issues, Beason knows the Panthers will get a crash course from their new coaching staff. Schemes, terminology, personnel - it's all getting a makeover.

Defensively, Beason anchors a strong linebacker group, but there are holes to fill along the line and in the secondary. Getting in a few days of work during the lockout was critical to the Panthers' efforts to move past what happened last season, Beason believes. There was a value in working with teammates, some of whom he just met.

"This is the ultimate team sport," Beason said. "There's no Dirk (Nowitzki) or (Dwayne) Wade to drop 40 and steal a game. It just doesn't happen.

"You need the guy beside you to be successful. You learn guys' personalities. That's the biggest disadvantage for our coaching staff. They don't know anybody. With the playbook, we're doing a good job of putting in what we got the one day the lockout was lifted. We had a few coverages, a couple of blitzes. It's been productive."

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(charlotteobserver.com)