When Ron Rivera missed one of the Panthers’ OTAs last month to attend his daughter’s graduation from UCLA, assistant head coach Steve Wilks slid into the top job for the day. But during that practice — and throughout the spring, really — Wilks seemed to have a shadow.Charles Tillman, who played three seasons under both Rivera and Wilks in Chicago, appears to be more than a cornerback. The 13-year veteran nicknamed ‘Peanut’ is almost like a player-coach.”Peanut and I have a great relationship. He understands my demeanor, my demand on the DBs and the things that I expect. He’s really an extension of my voice out there on the football field,” said Wilks, who also heads the secondary.Technically, the only additions to Carolina’s coaching staff this offseason were assistant receivers coach Cam Turner and Russ Purnell on special teams. Yet when the Panthers signed Tillman to a one-year deal in April, they added another teacher.Throughout offseason workouts, it was rare to look across the practice fields and not see him giving a tip to the defensive backs. Even on a near 100-degree day before the start of minicamp, when Panthers’ assistants coached members of the military during a 7-on-7 fantasy camp, there he was:[vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html]”If I see something, I’m not going to keep it a secret. A closed mouth don’t get fed,” Tillman said after one of last month’s practices. “If I see something, I’m going to say something.”During a conference call with Carolina media a day after he signed, the 34-year-old had something to say when asked about the tread on his tires:“One of the disheartening things about our profession is people worry so much about age. If you feel good and you’re playing good, it really shouldn’t matter how old you are.”While that’s a nice thought, it’s not unreasonable to question how much Tillman has left. He missed 22 games the past two seasons with torn triceps, which could be a freak coincidence or a sign of age. For their part, the Panthers believe the time away may have bought him at least another year.[vc_column_inner fade=”” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” width=”1/2″]If he remains healthy, Tillman is expected to hold off Bené Benwikere for a starting job on the outside. And if he can return to the form of his last three full seasons, he should help raise the Panthers’ turnover total.From 2010-12, Tillman twice made the Pro Bowl while racking up 17 forced fumbles and 11 interceptions. His 42 forced fumbles since 2003 are the most for a defensive back and he’s fourth among active players with 36 career interceptions. The combined totals of the other eight cornerbacks on Carolina’s roster: eight forced fumbles and 18 interceptions.[vc_column_inner fade=”” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” width=”1/2″][vc_raw_html]JTNDZGl2JTIwY2xhc3MlM0QlMjJnZXR0eSUyMGVtYmVkJTIwaW1hZ2UlMjIlMjBzdHlsZSUzRCUyMmJhY2tncm91bmQtY29sb3IlM0ElMjNmZmYlM0JkaXNwbGF5JTNBaW5saW5lLWJsb2NrJTNCZm9udC1mYW1pbHklM0ElMjdIZWx2ZXRpY2ElMjBOZXVlJTI3JTJDSGVsdmV0aWNhJTJDQXJpYWwlMkNzYW5zLXNlcmlmJTNCY29sb3IlM0ElMjNhN2E3YTclM0Jmb250LXNpemUlM0ExMXB4JTNCd2lkdGglM0ExMDAlMjUlM0JtYXgtd2lkdGglM0E0NDVweCUzQiUyMiUzRSUzQ2RpdiUyMHN0eWxlJTNEJTIyb3ZlcmZsb3clM0FoaWRkZW4lM0Jwb3NpdGlvbiUzQXJlbGF0aXZlJTNCaGVpZ2h0JTNBMCUzQnBhZGRpbmclM0E3NS4yNTI1MjUlMjUlMjAwJTIwMCUyMDAlM0J3aWR0aCUzQTEwMCUyNSUzQiUyMiUzRSUzQ2lmcmFtZSUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMiUyRiUyRmVtYmVkLmdldHR5aW1hZ2VzLmNvbSUyRmVtYmVkJTJGMTA2MDA2Mjg4JTNGZXQlM0RqZ0ZCcFJ1VVFrZFVVLXFaMGxIU2d3JTI2dmlld01vcmVMaW5rJTNEb2ZmJTI2c2lnJTNEUTg5cGgtZ1ZXX0RUd19qbGY4cnVXNTVXU3k4VUY4SHUxS3NsOTZubk9UOCUzRCUyMiUyMHdpZHRoJTNEJTIyNDQ1JTIyJTIwaGVpZ2h0JTNEJTIyMzM1JTIyJTIwc2Nyb2xsaW5nJTNEJTIybm8lMjIlMjBmcmFtZWJvcmRlciUzRCUyMjAlMjIlMjBzdHlsZSUzRCUyMmRpc3BsYXklM0FpbmxpbmUtYmxvY2slM0Jwb3NpdGlvbiUzQWFic29sdXRlJTNCdG9wJTNBMCUzQmxlZnQlM0EwJTNCd2lkdGglM0ExMDAlMjUlM0JoZWlnaHQlM0ExMDAlMjUlM0IlMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZpZnJhbWUlM0UlM0MlMkZkaXYlM0UlM0NwJTIwc3R5bGUlM0QlMjJtYXJnaW4lM0EwJTNCJTIyJTNFJTNDJTJGcCUzRSUzQ2RpdiUyMHN0eWxlJTNEJTIycGFkZGluZyUzQTAlM0JtYXJnaW4lM0EwJTIwMCUyMDAlMjAxMHB4JTNCdGV4dC1hbGlnbiUzQWxlZnQlM0IlMjIlM0UlM0NhJTIwaHJlZiUzRCUyMmh0dHAlM0ElMkYlMkZ3d3cuZ2V0dHlpbWFnZXMuY29tJTJGZGV0YWlsJTJGMTA2MDA2Mjg4JTIyJTIwdGFyZ2V0JTNEJTIyX2JsYW5rJTIyJTIwc3R5bGUlM0QlMjJjb2xvciUzQSUyM2E3YTdhNyUzQnRleHQtZGVjb3JhdGlvbiUzQW5vbmUlM0Jmb250LXdlaWdodCUzQW5vcm1hbCUyMCUyMWltcG9ydGFudCUzQmJvcmRlciUzQW5vbmUlM0JkaXNwbGF5JTNBaW5saW5lLWJsb2NrJTNCJTIyJTNFVmlldyUyMGltYWdlJTNDJTJGYSUzRSUyMCU3QyUyMCUzQ2ElMjBocmVmJTNEJTIyaHR0cCUzQSUyRiUyRnd3dy5nZXR0eWltYWdlcy5jb20lMjIlMjB0YXJnZXQlM0QlMjJfYmxhbmslMjIlMjBzdHlsZSUzRCUyMmNvbG9yJTNBJTIzYTdhN2E3JTNCdGV4dC1kZWNvcmF0aW9uJTNBbm9uZSUzQmZvbnQtd2VpZ2h0JTNBbm9ybWFsJTIwJTIxaW1wb3J0YW50JTNCYm9yZGVyJTNBbm9uZSUzQmRpc3BsYXklM0FpbmxpbmUtYmxvY2slM0IlMjIlM0VnZXR0eWltYWdlcy5jb20lM0MlMkZhJTNFJTNDJTJGZGl2JTNFJTNDJTJGZGl2JTNF[/vc_raw_html]That experience he may have too much of in some ways is very much what a young cornerback corps could use.”One of the things that he’s done real nice is he’s mixing in with the players and the young corners and spending a lot more time with them,” Rivera said. “He’s sharing his wealth of knowledge.””That’s very important, especially for a young group of corners. I think he’s saddled up to guys like Josh Norman and given some great insight.”As good as Norman was in the second half of last season, he hasn’t reached his ceiling. He still takes costly penalties, and in 37 games, he’s forced just four takeaways (three interceptions, one forced fumble). But after Wilks and Rivera finally convinced Norman to stop freelancing, he now has a mentor to help his climb.“Peanut is physical. His technique is sound. He has a feel for the game,” Norman said. “You can see certain routes, he understands it. He’s there before the wide receiver is there sometimes.”Since the Panthers unsuccessfully tried to sign Alan Ball in March, it’s not a huge leap to assume Tillman was a backup option to fill a glaring hole in the final weeks before the draft. There wasn’t a big market for a 30-something corner who hadn’t played a full season since 2012, but there was a team that needed him.The Panthers’ secondary didn’t get faster by adding Tillman, but it did get wiser. If the former Pro Bowler can stay on the field and return to his playmaking ways, it may have gotten better.“I hope to not slow (the defense) down. I’m a 1/11th. I’m just trying to play within the scheme of our defense. Hopefully, I can help us win more games, hopefully, create more take-aways,” Tillman said.”Division [titles] are good, but the ultimate goal, like all 32 teams, we’re all working collectively for that one goal, and that’s a Super Bowl. Hopefully, we can get that accomplished.”