The Panthers lost their star left guard Andrew Norwell to the Jaguars in free agency a couple of years ago. As expected, it’s been difficult for them to fill the void left behind by his exit. Looking forward, Greg Van Roten and Daryl Williams will both be free agents in March. That means the team may need to find a new starter at this position.

If they look internally, 2019 sixth-round pick Dennis Daley is the most logical option to fill that spot. However, there are a couple of excellent guards who are about to hit the market who they should consider. Our next potential 2020 target profile is Redskins right guard Brandon Scherff.

Career stats:

Scherff was a first-round pick by Washington in the 2015 NFL draft. He began starting games immediately and has made a positive impact for their offensive line. According to Pro Football Focus, he only allowed one sack last season and earned a strong 75.0 overall grade.

Pros:

Scherff may not be the game’s most dominant guard, but he is one of the best. He was a member of the All-Rookie team his first year and has been to the Pro Bowl three times, including this season. He just turned 28, so he should have plenty of good years left in him. Signing Scherff would eliminate the weak link in Carolina’s offensive line and make life much easier on center Matt Paradis, who needs a bounce-back year.

Cons:

Shifting over to left guard might require an adjustment period for Scherff. However, it shouldn’t be too difficult for him. Scherff also committed nine penalties this year, the second most at his position, per PFF. He has also missed a total of 13 games over the last two seasons due to injuries. Scherff was put on IR by the Redskins in the middle of December due to elbow and shoulder issues. They should not hold him out for any part of the 2020 season, though.

Probability: Low

Ron Rivera won’t want to surrender one of his best linemen, especially if he cant convince left tackle Trent Williams to return. Even if Washington doesn’t re-sign Scherff, he and Joe Thuney are the only solid guards on the market this year, so he should fetch a handsome price.

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