Carolina’s offensive line continues to be a thorn in the side of whoever’s starting at quarterback and calling the plays. One of the biggest challenges facing new Panthers coach Matt Rhule’s staff will be getting the unit back on solid footing in 2020.
If there was one true weak link in the fence last season, it was at left guard. Greg Van Roten had issues in pass protection all year, which wound up affecting both center Matt Paradis and the left tackles. However, Pro Football Focus says Van Roten was actually the team’s most improved player in 2019. Here’s what they said.
“He earned the starting left guard job in Carolina for the 2018 season, but he was generally unimpressive, and his 59.4 overall grade ranked 20th among 35 qualifying left guards on the year. Another year as the starter brought slightly better results, though, as Van Roten improved his grade to 65.5 in 2019, which ranked 15th at the position.”
A five-point jump in PFF’s grading system isn’t exactly the kind of thing that is worth getting excited over, though.
If anything, this is an indication of just how few players for Carolina really took a step forward in their development last season. That’s mostly on former head coach Ron Rivera, who has long had a habit of playing veterans at the expense of his rookies and younger contributors. That’s good news for fantasy owners of Adrian Peterson, but not so much for Washington’s long-term outlook.
As for Van Roten, he will become an unrestricted free agent next month. There’s a decent case to bring him back since he’s a good run blocker and at least adds more depth inside. The Panthers should probably try to find an upgrade at the starting left guard spot, though.
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