And while Jon Beason might no longer line up in the middle of Panthers' defense, his coaches and teammates say the Pro Bowl linebacker remains that unit's heart.With defensive end Julius Peppers now in Chicago and linebacker Thomas Davis injured, Beason is the clear leader of a defense that, based on the Panthers' preseason performance, could be the strength of the team.The transition began last year when Beason, during an appearance on Charlotte radio station WFNZ, said he wanted to see more intensity from Peppers, the NFL's highestpaid player in 2009 at $16.7 million.At the time of Beason's comments, Peppers had one sack for the 03 Panthers. Though the message seemed to motivate Peppers he had six tackles, two sacks and two quarterback pressures in a 2017 win against Washington the following Sunday Beason said he should have kept the matter inhouse."Sometimes what you say, people don't perceive it that way. It's definitely an issue I wish I could take back because I didn't