Old North Banter
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Carolina Panthers: Good Luck to Thomas Davis

By John Woodcock

Jan 24, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive end Charles Johnson (95), outside linebacker Thomas Davis (58), tight end Greg Olsen (88) and quarterback Cam Newton (1) celebrates with the George Halas Trophy after beating the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship football game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 24, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive end Charles Johnson (95), outside linebacker Thomas Davis (58), tight end Greg Olsen (88) and quarterback Cam Newton (1) celebrates with the George Halas Trophy after beating the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship football game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis begins a recovery process to see if he can return for the Super Bowl.

The Carolina Panthers have long made their tradition on the defensive side of the ball. That has been true this year as well as the Panthers have the number two defense in the league right now. That defensive strength emanates from the linebacking duo of Thomas Davis and Luke Kuechly, which is why it was a big hurt to see Thomas Davis leave the field against the Cardinals not to return.

Davis is one of the most important pieces on the defense. He brings speed, savvy, and doggedness into the game. Before he went out he had made six tackles including two tackles for loss of Cardinals running back David Johnson at times when Johnson looked like he was gaining some momentum with the ground game.

So to lose Davis now seems incredibly unfair. He is the longest serving Panther on the roster even though even he did not see the last Super Bowl team appearance in 2003-4.

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Davis may not be gone yet. The prognosis is that his right arm was broken. Davis had surgery yesterday and has made noises that he has every intention of making a return in two weeks for the Super Bowl. The typical recovery time for a forearm fracture is about four weeks to eight weeks, but Davis’ quick surgery may speed up the time line on that.

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Besides I think I have doubted Thomas Davis enough when it comes to him doing tough things. I was uncertain when he was drafted after playing safety at Georgia. If we needed a speedy linebacker, current Chief and former Longhorn Derrick Johnson was still on the draft board at that point. Then of course there was Davis tearing the same knee tendon in the same knee three times. On a team who was plagued by linebacker injury (Dan Morgan, Jon Beason) Davis by rights should not have made it back.

Yet he did. He came back at an all-Pro level. His speed and some of his old coverage skill as a safety have made him a prototypical modern linebacker. The Panthers were smart to put Kuechly, who has similar qualities on the field with him. Hopefully Shaq Thompson, another former college safety, will develop the same way.

Until then we will watch to see if Thomas Davis can pull off a Willis Reed and actually play on Super Bowl Sunday in Santa Clara.

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