Tag: Panthers Offensive Line

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.

[lawrence-related id=636180]

[vertical-gallery id=636160]

Panthers signing former Florida OL Martez Ivey to 1-year deal

The Panthers have their new quarterback. Now they have to protect him.

The Panthers have their new quarterback. Now they have to protect him.

The first transaction the team has made after dealing for Sam Darnold is signing free agent offensive lineman Martez Ivey, per Adam Schefter at ESPN.

Ivey (6-foot-5, 306 pounds) played his college football at Florida, where he lined up mostly at left guard and left tackle. The Panthers likely see him as a backup for both spots.

At the moment, we’re projecting Pat Elflein to start at left guard and Trent Scott at left tackle, but the acquisition of Darnold makes it much more likely Carolina will use its first-round pick on the top left tackle prospect that’s still on the board when they pick at No. 8.

Adding Ivey helps make up for some of the OL depth the team lost in free agency. Expect them to sign another guard or two before the offseason program reallly begins, though.

[lawrence-related id=635504]

[vertical-gallery id=635414]

Panthers OL Cameron Erving feels ‘most comfortable’ at left tackle

For what it’s worth, Carolina’s new OL Cameron Erving says he feels most comfortable playing that spot.

After the Panthers re-signed right guard John Miller yesterday, four of five offensive line spots have projected starters ready to go for the 2021 season. The last piece to the puzzle is also the most important one: filling the long-standing hole at the left tackle position.

For what it’s worth, Carolina’s new OL Cameron Erving says he feels most comfortable playing that spot.

Erving started five games on the blindside for the Cowboys last year after Tyron Smith suffered a season-ending neck injury. He didn’t exactly set Dallas on fire – Erving earned a 58.0 overall grade from Pro Football Focus for the season and they have him ranked dead last among OL with at least 1,500 offensive snaps since 2018. Not exactly starting left tackle material.

The Panthers also have Greg Little and Dennis Daley under contract, who both have experience at the position. As for last year’s starter, Russell Okung is now a free agent and one of the best options on the market now that LT1 Trent Williams has re-upped with the 49ers.

Re-signing Okung is worth considering if it means they don’t have to ponder starting Erving. That said, picking a top left tackle prospect early in the draft is probably the best way to go.

As for who they will be protecting, nothing has changed as of today. Erving says his understanding is Teddy Bridgewater is the starter.

For now.

[lawrence-related id=635157]

[vertical-gallery id=634876]

Panthers re-signing RG John Miller to 1-year deal

According to a report by Jonathan Alexander at the Charlotte Observer, Carolina is re-signing starting right guard John Miller to a one-year deal.

Slowly but surely, the pieces for the Carolina Panthers 2021 offensive line are coming together.

According to a report by Jonathan Alexander at the Charlotte Observer, Carolina is re-signing starting right guard John Miller to a one-year deal.

Miller was a third-round pick by the Bills back in 2015. He played four years in Buffalo, followed by one season in Cincinnati before signing with the Panthers last March.

There are no financial details available at this time, but we can probably assume Miller’s contract won’t set the team back too much.

With Miller back in the fold, four starters up front are secured. Right tackle Taylor Moton has signed his franchise tag, center Matt Paradis restructured his contract and will come back for at least one more season and Pat Elflein projects as the starting left guard.

All that’s left to do is find a new starting left tackle, which is obviously easier said than done. The best options on the market include Eric Fisher, Russell Okung and Alejandro Villanueva.

[lawrence-related id=635126]

[vertical-gallery id=634876]

Panthers announce one-year deal for backup OT Trent Scott

The Panthers just announced they’ve re-signed backup offensive tackle Trent Scott to a one-year deal.

The Panthers just announced they’ve re-signed backup offensive tackle Trent Scott to a one-year deal.

Scott is one of several players who followed offensive line coach Pat Meyer over from the Chargers last year. He had previously been Russell Okung’s backup in LA. With Okung out 10 games due to injuries and health issues, Scott wound up starting nine games on the blindside for the Chargers in 2019.

Scott followed a similar path this past season with Carolina. Okung once again suffered from bad luck with injuries and missed nine games. Scott was part of a rotating cast of OL who tried their hand at left tackle when Okung was out. Greg Little, Dennis Daley and Michael Schofield also saw time at that spot. Scott started four games and played in 14. In the end, he was on the field for about a third of Carolina’s offensive snaps after being placed on IR late in the year with a shoulder issue.

Scott is the third pending free agent the team has re-signed this week. The Panthers have also brought back wide receivers Brandon Zylstra and Keith Kirkwood on one-year deals.

[lawrence-related id=634169]

[vertical-gallery id=634200]

Panthers offensive line coach on 4 pending free agent starters: ‘It’s part of the game’

This year, things aren’t quite as bad but there’s still going to be some significant turnover.

The Carolina Panthers lost more snaps played this past offseason than any other team in the NFL by a wide margin. Those dramatic personnel changes were a big factor in their disappointing 5-11 finish to the 2020 season.

This year, things aren’t quite as bad but there’s still going to be some significant turnover. Where we’ll likely see the most change is the offensive line, where every starter except center Matt Paradis is about to become a free agent. Offensive line coach Pat Meyer says he’d prefer to keep them all, but understands it’s part of the business, per the team website.

“I would like to get them all back. Is that possible? No, I know that. . . I’d like to keep them all, but that’s not the nature of the business, so it’s like, hey, let’s elevate some guys, get somebody in, draft somebody. It’s part of the game, and it’s cyclical.”

To review, left tackle Russell Okung is 32 years old and missed nine games due to injury this year. He’s almost guaranteed not to return. Meanwhile, starting right tackle Taylor Moton is just 26 and has become an elite talent at his position. However, keeping him will be an expensive proposition, either by an extension or the franchise tag.

By comparison, keeping guards John Miller and Chris Reed around would be easy but losing both Moton and Okung would be exceptionally difficult to overcome.

Looking ahead, it’s clear the Panthers will have to use some of their draft capital to shore up this position group. Getting those picks right will be critical in determining just how far this offense can go, no matter who is under center.

[lawrence-related id=633321]

[vertical-gallery id=633329]

Panthers place another left tackle on injured reserve

Trent Scott has been placed on injured reserve, ending his 2020 season with only one game to go

“Life is pain, highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.” So said the hero of the 1987 cult hit fantasy/comedy The Princess Bride. You certainly don’t need to remind the Carolina Panthers, who have been struggling with injuries all season, especially along the offensive line.

Naturally, the pain has been felt most accutely at the left tackle position, a long-lasting thorn in the organization’s side. The team just announced another blow: Trent Scott has been placed on injured reserve, ending his 2020 season with only one game to go. In a corresponding move, Matt Kaskey was signed from the practice squad to take Scott’s roster spot.

Scott joins Dennis Daley and Greg Little on the IR list. He suffered a shoulder injury in Sunday’s win over Washington and was replaced by Michael Schofield, who normally plays guard. It went about as well as you might expect, especially when he had to block Chase Young.

Schofield is the fifth player to try his hand at left tackle this year for Carolina thanks to Russell Okung’s ongoing health issues. If they don’t feel like they can land a new potential franchise QB in the draft, that spot should be the top priority.

[lawrence-related id=632347]

[vertical-gallery id=632280]

Panthers G Dennis Daley downgraded to out vs. Packers

According to Will Bryan, second-year guard Dennis Daley has been downgraded from doubtful to out for this week’s game.

The Panthers offensive line will be down at least a couple of men for tomorrow night’s matchup with the Packers. According to Will Bryan, second-year guard Dennis Daley has been downgraded from doubtful to out for this week’s game.

Daley was a sixth-round pick by Carolina in last year’s draft. He has played in 19 games so far but has seen his playing time drop significantly from his rookie season. This year, he’s only been on the field for 16% of the team’s offensive snaps compared to 62% in 2019.

Daley suffered a concussion in the team’s Week 11 win over the Lions and has been in the protocol ever since. He was a limited participant at practice this week though so it’s possible he will return against Washington.

The Panthers will also be missing offensive tackle Greg Little, who was placed on the injured reserve list yesterday.

To make matters worse, left tackle Russell Okung is listed as questionable with the calf injury that’s been bugging him for a couple of months.

[lawrence-related id=631836]

[vertical-gallery id=631819]

Panthers injury updates: Russell Okung doubtful for Week 8 vs. Falcons

Here’s the complete Week 8 injury report for the Panthers.

The Carolina Panthers may be without their starting left tackle again in tomorrow night’s game against the Atlanta Falcons. Russell Okung did not participate in practice at any point this week and is listed as doubtful to play. Four other linemen are also considered questionable.

Here’s the complete Week 8 injury report for the Panthers.

Player Injury Mon Tue Wed Status
OT Russell Okung Calf DNP DNP DNP Doubtful
G John Miller Ankle DNP Limited Full Questionable
CB Eli Apple Hamstring Full DNP – Cut
DE Marquis Haynes Knee Full Full Full Questionable
DL Efe Obada Back Full Full Full Questionable
DT Zach Kerr Toe – DNP DNP Questionable

It would be unfortunate but hardly surpising if Okung can’t go again. His health questions were one of the many reasons we hated the trade that sent Trai Turner away and brought Okung in. Assuming No. 76 can’t play again, the Panthers will likely start Greg Little, who performed well against the Saints last week. Perhaps that should become a permanent arrangement if he continues to ball.

We wish we had more information on the other players listed here, but practice was closed to the media today.

The big thing to watch over the next 24 hours is whether or not the team activates star running back Christian McCaffrey from the injured reserve list. McCaffrey was designated to return yesterday. The team now has 20 days left to activate him. If they want him to play against Atlanta, they’ll need to do so by 4:00 p.m. ET tomorrow.

[lawrence-related id=630327]

[vertical-gallery id=630317]

Matt Rhule says Panthers have Dennis Daley starting at left guard

Panthers coach Matt Rhule says Dennis Daley has been starting at left guard.

Like the rest of the roster, the Panthers offensive line went through some earth-shaking changes this offseason. Trai Turner was traded to the Chargers for Russell Okung, temporarily filling a long-standing hole at left tackle but opening up another one at right guard. The team also lost Greg Van Roten to the Jets in free agency, punching another hole on the other side of center Matt Paradis.

The Panthers have since added a couple of guards this offseason who could fill those spots. Somebody who was already around for last season is currently in the driver’s seat at left guard, though. After today’s practice coach Matt Rhule told the media that 2019 sixth-round draft pick Dennis Daley has been starting at that position.

Don’t give him the starting job just yet, though. Coach Rhule also said that both Michael Schofield and Chris Reed could compete for that spot.

Daley played left tackle during his time at South Carolina. Since he turned pro he’s been trying his hand at several spots, though.

Last year at this time, Ron Rivera’s staff had him training to play everywhere but center. That versatility will be useful as Daley tries to earn more snaps under Rhule and new offensive line coach Pat Meyer.

As for the other side, it sounds like John Miller may be the favorite to start at right guard in place of Trai Turner.

One advantage Miller has over the other candidates is his experience with Teddy Bridgewater. They played together at Louisville.

[lawrence-related id=627832]

[vertical-gallery id=626993]