A year ago, the Panthers traded away the rights to that pick to San Francisco to acquire Everette Brown with the 43rd overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft. And now, with the Panthers franchise at a crossroads and defensive end Julius Peppers having bolted for big money in Chicago, Brown senses fans, coaches and teammates are expecting big things from him entering his second NFL season. With so much turnover on the defensive line, Brown knows the 2010 Panthers will need new leaders to emerge and he plans on being one of them. “I want to be a leader,†Brown said. “I always consider myself a guy who takes on that leadership role, whether it is off the field or on the field. I tried to pay attention to how those guys carried themselves. But I do see myself taking on a leadership role. We have a lot of great guys on this team and a lot of guys will need to step up for us to win. But one guy’s leadership can be contagious and get everybody going.†Source: Gaston Gazette
