Yahoo Sports Carolina Panthers have 3 ‘starting-caliber safeties.’ Where does Demani Richardson fit?
A week ago, Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero told reporters that he loved the state of his safety room — at one point musing that he thought he had three “starting-caliber safeties” to use at his will.
He was referring to Xavier Woods, Jordan Fuller and Nick Scott.
But another guy has roared onto the coaching staff’s radar the past few weeks — and only solidified it after the Panthers’ home preseason contest on Saturday.
“The cool part about Demani is he had an opportunity tonight, and he took advantage of it,” Panthers head coach Dave Canales said of the rookie undrafted free agent. He was referring to the play of the day — for both Richardson and the Panthers at large — when Richardson hauled in an interception and returned it 29 yards.
“Sometimes we get those ops, and the guy either can or can’t come up with the ball,” Canales continued. “And so he did a fantastic job of finishing that play, putting us in a good situation, getting us back on the board, and really make it a three-point game at that point.”
The former Texas A&M star has impressed in training camp. That hasn’t just included his INT Saturday. That also includes a two-interception day on Monday and a pass-break up at least once in 7-on-7 drills against the Aaron Rodgers-led Jets during the joint practice.
He still thinks the pick on Saturday could’ve — should’ve — been even better.
“We were in empty (coverage) and one of our linebackers was on a receiver, and our coaches teach us to lean to the receiver-side of the matchup,” Richardson said. “The quarterback overthrew the ball.”
He then smiled: “And I feel like I shoulda scored. A lineman tackled me so I felt like it was a bad return.”
Like any preseason contest, Saturday was less a measuring stick of what the Panthers have and more an audition of who will fill out the bottom of the roster. The team has 90 players now before it must cut to the final 53 at the conclusion of the preseason. Those who are cut then get put on waivers, and if they’re not picked up by another team, they can return to the Panthers’ 16-man practice squad if he and the team so choose.
So: Where does Richardson fit in all of this?
It’s a question every coach has to ask about every UDFA at this point in the preseason. It’s a particularly compelling one in Carolina — a team that has a deep safeties room, even if the rest of its defensive backfield (read: anyone not named Jaycee Horn or Troy Hill) — is either injured or still has plenty to prove.
But one thing was clear: Several players acknowledged the play (and the player) was special.
“I was turnt,” linebacker Claudin Cherelus said after the game. “You know, I was done for the day, but if you find the video, I’m jumping up and down on the sideline. I think it’s just about guys taking advantage of the reps. Same with me. I’m in a position where I’m still fighting for my spot.
“Obviously there’s nothing guaranteed as a (fellow) undrafted guy, so I’m kind of biased for Demani. I love to see him work. I love to see him make plays. But it’s nothing surprising though. He had three interceptions this week. That stuff doesn’t just happen. Guys take advantage of their (opportunities). That’s all it is.”
Eku Leota, also an undrafted guy who had a day to remember last week, agreed.
“It was very special,” he said. “I know Demani works really hard, and he does it in practice too. I’m not surprised he does it in the games.”
The safety room is nonetheless still stacked. Woods quietly had a really good year in 2023. Fuller and Scott each have prior experience playing in Evero’s defensive system with the Los Angeles Rams.
Could Richardson beat out last year’s fifth-round draft pick Jammie Robinson (who also had an active night Saturday)? Could he find room in the defensive backfield at the expense of Dicaprio Bootle, Lamar Jackson or D’Shawn Jamison?
It’s tough to tell. It’s true Richardson has undoubtedly turned heads this camp. Hill called him “a baller” with a magnetism for finding the ball. Chau Smith-Wade, a rookie DB whom the Panthers picked in the sixth round, said watching and helping a fellow rookie ball out “is everything.” Fellow corner DiCaprio Bootle said that Richardson has been playing “with his hair on fire” the past couple of days and that “he has the chance to do something special.”
All this said, it’s also true, of course, that Canales spoke highly of pretty much everyone in the defensive backfield on Saturday. He especially sung the praises of Robinson — who led all tacklers in the preseason game.
“(He’s) playing nickel, playing safety. He’s on all the teams. Plays with great energy,” Canales said of Robinson, adding, “For him to be able to make those plays, finishing off tackles on runs, and just seeing him flying around all over the field, that’s the style of football we want to play.”
Right about now is an understandably anxious time for players fighting for roster spots across the league. Richardson acknowledged that. But the undrafted free agent has done everything in his power to assuage those anxieties. One stat: He’s notched nearly as many interceptions in training camp (three) as he did in five seasons of college (four). (And one of those college INTs coming from the arm of then-Alabama star Tua Tagovailoa.)
He’s controlled what he can control, in other words. The rest, Richardson said, is up to God.
“I’m not really stressing about it,” he said. “I’m just trying to leave it all to God, leave it all to the coaches. Just keep going in, day-in, day-out, and keep working.”
