SPARTANBURG, S.C. – In a shocking development, the Panthers' decision to pair Kawann Short with Dontari Poe on the interior of the defensive line has been working quite well.
"From the start of OTAs I've been able to get a feel for what he does and what he's capable of. He's a beast out there, man," Short said of Poe. "Athletic, big and he's got speed. It's going to be crazy when that game time comes. It's going to be scary.
"At the one (technique), he can't be moved. At the three (technique), he's got that get-off. It'll be interesting to see what we all do together."
Poe was signed as the replacement for Star Lotulelei, who departed for Buffalo in free agency.
"They are pretty much the same people," Short said. "They both don't say nothing. You have to pull teeth to get things out of them. The only thing different is probably waist size. You see Poe, man, he's athletic with that big size."
Short is pretty big and athletic in his own right at a nimble 6-foot-3 and 315 pounds. He posted 11 sacks in 2015, when he was named to his first Pro Bowl. In 2016, he finished with six sacks, followed by 7.5 last year.
He's determined to add another Pro Bowl to his resume, and that's putting it lightly.
"To be the best in the league, if not the best," Short said of his goal for 2018. "I want to win – I want to bring that championship."
