Tag: Panthers Offensive Line

Panthers OT Taylor Moton says he’s ready to play left tackle if needed

However it plays out, this is the most important position battle to follow over these next few weeks.

The Panthers gave Taylor Moton a big payday earlier this month, signing their star right tackle to a four-year, $72 million extension.

Moton will have to earn his money. He’s become the only reliable starter for Carolina’s offensive line and he may be asked to play out of position this year. The team has a hole to fill at left tackle, enough so that Moton had to take a few reps there during OTAs due to a couple injuries.

After arriving at Wofford College for training camp today, Moton told reporters that he’s ready to play left tackle if needed.

At the moment, the favorite to win the starting job is Cameron Erving, who said he expects to be the front-runner when camp begins. Erving has not had a great run in the NFL, though – PFF has him graded out as the league’s worst offensive lineman since 2018. If Erving can’t win the job, guys like Greg Little and Trent Scott will get a chance.

If none of them work out, sliding Moton over to the left side might be the answer. While that opens up another hole at right tackle, it’s possible the Panthers have a solution. When he was drafted we assumed coach Matt Rhule saw Brady Christensen as a left tackle, but apparently they see him as a right tackle, instead.

However it plays out, this is the most important position battle to follow over these next few weeks.

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Panthers OT Taylor Moton says he’s ready to play left tackle if needed

However it plays out, this is the most important position battle to follow over these next few weeks.

The Panthers gave Taylor Moton a big payday earlier this month, signing their star right tackle to a four-year, $72 million extension.

Moton will have to earn his money. He’s become the only reliable starter for Carolina’s offensive line and he may be asked to play out of position this year. The team has a hole to fill at left tackle, enough so that Moton had to take a few reps there during OTAs due to a couple injuries.

After arriving at Wofford College for training camp today, Moton told reporters that he’s ready to play left tackle if needed.

At the moment, the favorite to win the starting job is Cameron Erving, who said he expects to be the front-runner when camp begins. Erving has not had a great run in the NFL, though – PFF has him graded out as the league’s worst offensive lineman since 2018. If Erving can’t win the job, guys like Greg Little and Trent Scott will get a chance.

If none of them work out, sliding Moton over to the left side might be the answer. While that opens up another hole at right tackle, it’s possible the Panthers have a solution. When he was drafted we assumed coach Matt Rhule saw Brady Christensen as a left tackle, but apparently they see him as a right tackle, instead.

However it plays out, this is the most important position battle to follow over these next few weeks.

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Carolina Panthers: 3 reasons for pessimism as training camp begins

Unfortunately, the rest of the offensive line can be described as shaky at best.

The Carolina Panthers look better on paper than they did last year. That’s one of the reasons we’re projecting a 9-8 record for the 2021 season. Yesterday, we listed four reasons for optimism heading into training camp, including the return of the best running back in the NFL.

Today, we’ll focus more on realism and examine three reasons to be pessimistic about this coming season.

Panthers’ projected pass block win rate among NFL’s lowest

ESPN is projecting that their pass block win rate is only going to be 56%, which would rank No. 27.

Winning in the NFL today requires a capable quarterback and an at-least respectable supporting cast around him. We know that the Panthers have a strong group of pass-catching weapons and a sharp playcaller in offensive coordinator Joe Brady. In theory, Sam Darnold should be able to take a step forward in his development. However, Carolina’s highly-questionable offensive line could be the bad apple that spoils the whole thing.

Heading into the 2021 season, there’s not much faith in this unit. Pro Football Focus has the Panthers offensive line ranked No. 31 in the league. ESPN is projecting that their pass block win rate is only going to be 56%, which would rank No. 27.

“Sam Darnold should have better weapons and better coaching in Carolina, but he probably will not get a particularly good pass-protecting line. The ranks above might even give an overly optimistic impression, because Erving and Elflein both ranked poorly in 2019. Moton, who just got a four-year extension, is the only reliable blocker here.”

Some quarterbacks can overcome a porous offensive line and lift their team with their ability to improvise and throw on the run. Darnold has not proven to be one of them since he was drafted. In fact, he was recently named the league’s worst passer outside the pocket.

Locking in Moton on his massive extension gives this unit some much-needed stability. However, the other four spots are far from a sure thing and the depth behind them isn’t exactly impressive, either.

It’s always possible this group will be a pleasant surprise. That said, the Panthers front office should have a backup plan in case things go south once the season begins.

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Panthers and OT Taylor Moton agree to 4-year, $72M extension

The Carolina Panthers and tackle Taylor Moton have agreed to a four-year contract worth $72 million.

The Carolina Panthers can count on a solid bookend through the middle of the decade.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Panthers and tackle Taylor Moton agreed to a four-year, $72 million contract extension on Thursday. The move also provides for $43 million guaranteed at signing — a welcomed payday for the former 2017 second-round pick from Western Michigan.

The deal also helps the Panthers and Moton avoid the franchise tag. If the deal didn’t take place before 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, the 6-5, 325-pound tackle would have played the entire season under the tag. Carolina and Moton’s representation would have also been precluded from contract talks until the end of the 2021 campaign.

Moton has been active for every game of his career. Starting in 2018, Moton manned the right tackle spot and has not missed a single start.

Among right tackles, Moton’s $18 million per year is tied with the Philadelphia Eagles’ Lane Johnson for the second-highest in the NFL. Only the New Orleans Saints’ Ryan Ramczyk has a higher average at $19.2 million annually.

Panthers spending an average amount on offensive line for 2021 NFL season

“Nobody ever said that winning was cheap.”

“Nobody ever said that winning was cheap.”

So said Tom Cruise as sports agent Jerry Maguire (1996) as he attempted to drive up the price for one of his clients. That principle applies pretty well to the salary cap era in the NFL. Teams have to invest their resources wisely, but getting stingy usually winds up in disaster once the games begin. Nowhere does an imbalanced roster or imperfect team-building plan become more apparent than in the trenches.

Heading into the 2021 season, the Carolina Panthers have a Jekyll and Hyde act going on at the line of scrimmage. While their defensive line looks to be their toughest unit on paper, the other side could be in for rough times.

Carolina’s current offensive line is being ranked at or near the bottom of most sites’ lists for all 32 units across the league. It’s not difficult to see why. Aside from Taylor Moton at right tackle, there’s no other above-average starters up front. That means three or four OL positions could wind up being a liability during the season, which is far from ideal for a team starting a quarterback in Sam Darnold who may be the NFL’s worst passer outside the packet.

Throwing money at the problem might not solve it, but it’s difficult to see how it would hurt at this juncture.

According to Spotrac, the Panthers are spending $33,442,862 on their offensive line this year. That puts them at No. 17 in the NFL, snugly fit between the Patriots and the Lions right in the middle of the pack.

Taylor Moton’s franchise tag ($13,754,000) accounts for the biggest piece of the pie, followed by the last year of center Matt Paradis’ contract ($5,636,666). After those two, there’s a huge dropoff to the next-most expensive offensive linemen. Cameron Erving has a cap hit of $3,490,000, Greg Little will cost $2,083,343 and Trent Scott comes in at $1,650,000. (Salary numbers are via Over the Cap).

Offensive line coach Pat Meyer could try to be creative. Perhaps trying Brady Christensen at right tackle and sliding Moton over to the blindside is worth considering. Inside, giving younger options like Dennis Daley and Deonte Brown a chance in case guys like Pat Elflein and John Miller bust might also help. Meyer only has so many pieces to work with, though. It would be difficult for any OL coach to find a solution that works with the roster where it stands right now.

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Panthers 2021 roster just misses bottom-five in Pro Football Focus rankings

Heading into the 2021 season, Pro Football Focus has their roster ranked No. 27 in the league. 

Football fans can talk themselves into anything at this time of year. After all, every NFL team is 0-0 and technically they have the same chance to win the Super Bowl as any other. However, we all know that all these teams aren’t equal and even the most hopeful fanbases can get crushed early in a season.

While the Carolina Panthers look stronger on paper than at this time last year, they still have a lot of work to do to catch up with their competition. Heading into the 2021 season, Pro Football Focus has their roster ranked No. 27 in the league.

PFF named Brian Burns and a promising young defensive line Carolina’s biggest strength. Meanwhile, their biggest weakness is the gaping hole on the left side of their offensive line.

“The Panthers brought in Cameron Erving and Pat Elflein in free agency to compete for the left tackle and left guard jobs, respectively. The only problem with that strategy is that Elflein and Erving both find themselves among the five lowest-graded offensive linemen in the league over the past three seasons. Carolina needs former BYU standout Brady Christensen to take control of one of those jobs, but it remains to be seen if he can stick at tackle with 32.25-inch arms.”

Christensen could turn out to be a franchise left tackle. However, it sounds like the plan is to play him on the other side. Coach Matt Rhule says the Panthers see him as a right tackle. That’s obviously problematic as Taylor Moton is starting at that spot and isn’t going anywhere.

Whatever they decide to do up front, this team will live and die based on what their new quarterback does. Sam Darnold has appropriately been named their x-factor for this coming season. While he undoubtedly has untapped potential, there’s not much to go on based on what he’s done so far. PFF says that Darnold is the lowest-graded starting quarterback in the league since 2018.

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Panthers Highlights: Taylor Moton’s brilliant backside run blocking compilation

Watch this compilation of beautiful backside run blocks by Moton, courtesy of Brandon Thorn.

Offensive linemen have a thankless job. With the exception of a few superstar left tackles, few get any attention for the work they do in the trenches protecting their quarterbacks and setting up running lanes.

The Panthers have one of the NFL’s best (and certainly most underrated) OL in right tackle Taylor Moton, who can do both. Watch this compilation of beautiful backside run blocks by Moton, courtesy of Brandon Thorn.

Unless Moton signs a new contract before July 15, he’ll play the 2021 season under the franchise tag, costing the team $13,754,000. Moton is worth it, but obviously an extension is preferable.

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Panthers RT Taylor Moton takes practice reps at left tackle due to injuries

This year, it’s unclear who will take Okung’s place as LT1.

The Carolina Panthers burned through half a dozen left tackles last season due to injuries, most notably their starter Russell Okung, who missed nine games. That opened up opportunities for Dennis Daley, Trent Scott, Greg Little, Michael Schofield and your second cousin Jim, who all got reps on the blindside but were unable to stick.

This year, it’s unclear who will take Okung’s place as LT1. That point was underscored during Wednesday’s OTA practice, which saw the team’s criminally underrated right tackle Taylor Moton taking reps at left tackle. It doesn’t sound like it’s going to be a full-time move, though. Trent Scott and Cameron Erving were both out with undisclosed injuries and head coach Matt Rhule seems to think Moton’s experience on the right side is important, per the Athletic.

“He’s just got so much time put in there (at right tackle). So to go over, people could do it,” Rhule said. “But he just doesn’t have much time over there. . . But it’s something where we’re just giving him some reps. Just like the right guard sometimes plays left guard. Taylor’s a great guy, and he always wants to challenge himself and try new things, so that’s good.”

Odds are Moton would be better than any of the other left tackles on the roster, but that transition is not necessarily an easy one and doing so would just open up another hole at right tackle.

Hopefully third-round pick Brady Christensen’s size won’t be an issue and he’ll eventually take over at Okung’s former spot. He played left tackle during his time at BYU and only allowed three sacks.

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2021 NFL draft: Which positions should the Panthers address on Day 2?

Here are three positions Carolina might need to address on Day 2.

The Panthers’ cornerback room is starting to look strong after the additions of A.J. Bouye and Rashaan Melvin in free agency and Jaycee Horn getting the call in round one of the draft.

This team still has holes at other high-impact positions, though. Here are three positions Carolina might need to address on Day 2.

Offensive line (left tackle)

The Panthers passed on a QB at No. 8 and exercised Sam Darnold’s fifth-year option this morning, making his QB1 status official. If Darnold is going to take that next step, they’ll have to do a better job of protecting him than the Jets did. Bolstering the offensive line has to begin at left tackle, which has been an ongoing problem here for seven years, now.

Fortunately, this is a deep OT class and there are a lot of quality prospects still out there. Carolina could also use more interior depth with center Matt Paradis going into the final year of his contract and right guard John Miller returning on a one-year deal. Going in, we have identified 12 potential OL targets on Day 2.

Free safety

While left tackle is a priority, the Panthers also have to consider taking one of the top free safety prospects in this class.

Both TCU’s Trevon Moehrig and UCF’s Richie Grant remain available. If one of them is still on the board at No. 39, Scott Fitterer and Matt Rhule at least have to consider it. For what it’s worth, Rhule went out of his way to praise Grant after coaching him at the Senior Bowl. Any safety prospects who can also drop down and defend the slot offer an extra bonus.

Wide receiver

WR might not seem like a need with D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson still under contract. Losing Curtis Samuel was a serious blow for Joe Brady’s offense, though. Signing David Moore will help some, but the team could use another big-bodied target for Darnold, which would also diminish their need to draft a tight end behind Dan Arnold. (That’s going to get weird).

One of the bigger receivers still on the board is LSU’s Terrace Marshall Jr. (6-foot-3, 200 pounds), who knows Brady’s scheme. Minnesota’s Rashod Bateman (6-foot-2, 209 pounds) and Wake Forest’s Sage Surratt (6-foot-3, 215 pounds) may also be in play.

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