Tag: Panthers Offensive Line

Panthers position battles: Is there room for a rookie on the offensive line?

Here are the three remaining undrafted free agents who are competing for a spot the rest of the month.

After quite the eventful offseason, things finally seem to have settled down for Carolina’s revamped offense. Not only do the Panthers now have a new starting quarterback and another weapon at wide receiver, but there was also a major overhaul of the offensive line.

To recap, the unit has lost three starters from last year and the franchise brought in new offensive line coach Pat Meyer. They also traded for veteran left tackle Russell Okung, landed two notable free-agents in John Miller and Michael Schofield and signed four undrafted free agent linemen – now down to three after Fred Mauigoa was cut. After all those changes, Pro Football Focus ranked Carolina’s offensive line No. 17 in the league going into 2020.

Whatever happens during training camp, the five starters up front are all-but-decided. Is there any room for a rookie on this roster, though? Here are the three remaining undrafted free agents who are competing for a spot the rest of the month.

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Panthers have two of NFL’s top 25 offensive tackles – Pro Football Focus

According to Pro Football Focus, they are two of the top 25 offensive tackles in the league heading into the 2020 NFL season.

Two of the most important players on the Panthers this year will be left tackle Russell Okung and right tackle Taylor Moton. If Okung is able to stay healthy and Moton continues to pass-protect at a high level, Carolina’s offensive line might have more stability than it has in a long time.

It’s a far cry from the monstrous, elite duo the division-rival Saints have, but this is one of the better starting OT tandems in the NFL. According to Pro Football Focus, they are two of the top 25 offensive tackles in the league heading into the 2020 season.

Moton came in at No. 20 on PFF’s list, based on the strength of his pass protection.

“He has produced the 13th-best grade on true pass sets since 2018 and played 121.7 pass-block snaps per quarterback knockdown (sacks plus hits) in that span, the fourth-best at the position.”

Okung just barely made the cut, landing at No. 25. PFF has questions about his injury history.

“Soon to be 33 years old, there’s no guarantee that Okung bounces back in 2020 with his injury history, but he’s easily a top-25 tackle when healthy. In his two years prior to 2019 with the Chargers, Okung produced an above-average grade on true pass sets.”

This sounds abour right. Moton and Okung are both good at what they do. Neither can be considered an elite lineman, though. One reason is they can both stand to improve in run blocking.

Moton earned a 67.4 run blocking grade from PFF last year as opposed to a solid 79.0 in pass blocking. As for Okung, he got a 56.4 in run blocking for his six games in 2019.

This will matter less if the Panthers embrace a more aggressive, pass-heavy offense under Joe Brady than they did with Norv and Scott Turner. The contract extension the organization gave Christian McCaffrey indicates this could philosophically still be a run-first team.

Sometimes circumstances dictate the terms, though. More than likely, this team will be trailing a lot this year, which will force Teddy Bridgewater to throw and put Okung and Moton’s respectable pass protection to the test.

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Panthers offensive line gets average ranking from Pro Football Focus going into 2020

Despite taking a step backwards at quarterback, the Panthers should be able to field a respectable offense this year. They have the best running back in the NFL, one of the deepest wide receiver rooms in the league and an innovative offensive …

Despite taking a step backwards at quarterback, the Panthers should be able to field a respectable offense this year. They have the best running back in the NFL, one of the deepest wide receiver rooms in the league and an innovative offensive coordinator on their side.

The big question is how well the team’s offensive line will function after going through some major changes this offseason. Three starters are gone and there’s a new position coach leading the group.

According to Pro Football Focus, Carolina’s new-look offensive line ranks No. 17 in the league going into 2020. They see the tackles as the unit’s strength.

“When healthy, Okung has graded just above average as a pass blocker against a tough slate of pass-rushers in the AFC West, and he’s solid in the run game. On the other side, only 15 tackles have a better pass-blocking grade than Taylor Moton’s 82.6 mark over the last three years, and he ranks 10th in pass-block grade on true pass sets.”

The interior of the line is much more shaky, though.

The Panthers will need center Matt Paradis to have a big rebound season if this group is going to live up to expectations. An upgrade at one of the guard spots wouldn’t hurt either.

Watch: College highlights for Panthers undrafted OL Branden Bowen

Bowen (6-foot-7, 315 pounds) also has experience at right guard, which should help his chances of making the roster.

The Panthers offensive line has some serious question marks on the interior. They are deeper at tackle than most people think, though. For one, Taylor Moton is a criminally underrated right tackle. Assuming he and left tackle Russell Okung stay healthy, it will provide some stability Carolina’s starting five hasn’t had in years.

There are also some backups with potential further down the depth chart. That includes 2019 second-round pick Greg Little and Ohio State’s Branden Bowen, who was one of the team’s 17 undrafed free agent signings this year.

Let’s get to know Bowen’s game better on film. (Bowen is No. 76, playing right tackle).

Bowen vs. Clemson

Bowen vs. Maryland

Bowen vs. Florida Atlantic

Bowen (6-foot-7, 315 pounds) also has experience at right guard, which should help his chances of making the roster.

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Panthers confirm Michael Schofield signing, cut a RB

Schofield has several connections with his new team.

The Panthers have confirmed the signing of former Chargers offensive lineman Michael Schofield, which was first reported by Jeremy Fowler at ESPN on Thursday.

Schofield has several connections with his new team, including offensive line coach Pat Meyer and two other starting offensive linemen. Meyer was his position coach on the Chargers. Schofield also previously played with left tackle Russell Okung and center Matt Paradis when he was in Denver.

There’s no official word on what position Schofield will be playing for the Panthers, but our best guess is he will take Greg Van Roten’s place at left guard. John Miller is another possibility. However, he seems like a better fit replacing Trai Turner at right guard.

In any case, we now know who will start along the front line. The team’s best lineman is currently right tackle Taylor Moton, who deserves a contract extension. He rounds out the starting five.

In a corresponding move, the Panthers released running back Marcus Murphy. The recent signing of Minnesota’s Rodney Smith might have made him expendable. We’re predicting Smith will be third on the depth chart behind Christian McCaffrey and Reggie Bonnafon.

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Report: The Panthers are shopping Pro Bowl G Trai Turner

According to a report by Jenna Laine at ESPN, the Panthers are shopping their five-time Pro Bowl right guard Trai Turner. 

According to a report by Jenna Laine at ESPN, the Panthers are shopping their five-time Pro Bowl right guard Trai Turner.

Turner has been the team’s best offensive lineman for several years, but Carolina is going into a rebuilding period and based on the latest reporting it seems absolutely nobody on the roster is safe, even superstars like Cam Newton and Christian McCaffrey.

It’s difficult to say what the Panthers could get for Turner (26) in a trade. Also, the already-shaky offensive line might suffer a serious regression without No. 70 holding things down on the right side.

As for who would replace Turner at right guard, the top option currently on the team is likely 2019 sixth-round pick Dennis Daley, who can play anywhere but center.

This is a deep offensive tackle draft class, though. It might be a better idea to pick one of them and slide them inside to guard.

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Greg Van Roten named Panthers’ most improved player by Pro Football Focus

However, Pro Football Focus says Van Roten was actually the team’s most improved player in 2019.

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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Analysis: How much change does the Panthers offensive line really need?

Fixing the unit will fall on Pat Meyer, who is expected to be named the team’s new offensive line coach according to Field Yates at ESPN.

The Panthers offensive line has been a sore point since at least Super Bowl 50, when Cam Newton got pummeled by the Broncos pass rush. The unit has been steadily in decline since and nothing the front office tries to improve it seems to work out.

Fixing the unit will fall on Pat Meyer, who is expected to be named the team’s new offensive line coach according to Field Yates at ESPN. Meyer has a tough task ahead of him, but the front line does not require the total rebuild some people are calling for.

Let’s break down the offensive line one spot at a time.

1. A new coach is the best way to improve

The best way this unit is going to get better in 2020 is benefiting from fresh leadership. The big challenge for Meyer will be how to break the group out of its bad habits while continuing to encourage what it does well. Mainly, he’ll want to keep the strong run blocking going while improving the pass protection across the board. If Meyer can do that, it will make a far bigger impact than any one (or two) new linemen can.

2. Matt Paradis isn’t going anywhere

A major key to turning things around is Paradis, who had as disappointing a season as any Carolina player. He signed a three-year, $27 million deal and we expected him to be an upgrade over Ryan Kalil. Instead, Paradis was a liability in pass protection and never seemed to settle in. Many fans want him cut, but that would be short-sighted and also come with a significant dead money penalty. Remember, Paradis was coming off a broken leg from 2018 and it may take another offseason to fully recover. If Paradis gets back to being the lineman he was in Denver early in his career, many of the unit’s issues (chiefly interior pass protection) will be solved.

3. Taylor Moton and Trai Turner are perfectly fine

The left side of the line is another story, but the right tackle and right guard spots are fine the way they are. Today, Turner will be playing in his fifth Pro Bowl and Moton has been the team’s most consistent lineman for a while. Moton should get a contract extension and Turner still has a few years left on his.

4. Left guard is easy to upgrade

If there’s one position the Panthers really do need to upgrade, it’s left guard. Greg Van Roten is a solid run blocker and teammate, but there’s a reason he has been a backup most of his career. Daryl Williams is not worth bringing back for this spot, either. If general manager Marty Hurney can find a solid young starting-quality guard in the draft or free agency, it will plug a huge hole and make Paradis’ job much easier.

5. The Panthers have 2 left tackles

Now we come to the great elephant in the room: what to do on the blindside? Since Jordan Gross’ retirement, this has been a problematic position. The good news is the Panthers have two promising options here. Greg Little and Dennis Daley are true left tackles who both flashed at times during their rookie year. Ideally, Little will stay healthy and wind up as the long-term starter. That would allow Daley to play one of the other spots (perhaps LG?). A lot of fans want a tackle in round one or two, but Carolina should give these guys at least another year to prove themselves. Patience is understandably tough given the way things have gone for this group in recent years. In this case, the solution (a true franchise left tackle) could already be on the roster.

The Panthers could definitely use more depth up front. Then again, that’s also true of practically every other NFL team. As bad as this unit looked last year, a couple tweaks and some better coaching could make a world of difference.

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Report: Panthers interviewed offensive line coach Pat Flaherty

According to a report by Alex Marvez at Sirius XM, Flaherty interviewed with the team on Friday.

Along with a few other assistants, Panthers offensive line coach John Matsko has jumped ship and joined Ron Rivera’s Redskins staff. It’s one of several open coaching positions for Carolina that must be filled.

Matt Rhule has been interviewing candidates with NFL experience lately, including three former head coaches for the QB job. It’s not a bad idea to supplement the relative lack of pro experience his offensive and defensive coordinators will bring to the table.

One common theme we’re seeing is Rhule’s ties with the Giants. He was their assistant offensive line coach in the 2012 season – his only previous job in the NFL before David Tepper hired him. Rhule’s boss that year was Pat Flaherty, who coached New York’s offensive line from 2004-2015.

According to a report by Alex Marvez at Sirius XM, Flaherty interviewed with the team on Friday.

Flaherty’s first job in the league was in Washington as their tight ends coach, a position he also held for the Bears. Most of his career has been spent working with the offensive line, though. Between the Giants, 49ers, Jaguars and Dolphins, he’s been an OL coach at this level for 16 years.

He has some local history, as well. Flaherty was once the defensive ends coach for East Carolina and held several roles at Wake Forest from 1993-1998.

Whether they hire Flaherty or another candidate, the Panthers should be looking for more balance up front. Matsko’s philosophy tended to emphasize run blocking over pass protection too much in our opinion. Not many offensive lines are great at both. However, pass blocking is the most important area the offense has to improve upon.

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Panthers lead NFL in average yards before contact per RB rush

According to Field Yates at ESPN, Carolina leads the league in average yards before contact on running back rushes.

There’s not much the Panthers can hang their hat on this season. One thing they’ve excelled at no matter what the standings say in recent years has been their ability to block for the run. According to Field Yates at ESPN, Carolina leads the league in average yards before contact on running back rushes. They’re just barely ahead of the Ravens in this area.

While Pro Bowler Christian McCaffrey’s elusiveness certainly is a part of it, this stat is mostly about the front line.

There’s more to line play than run blocking, though and the Panthers have struggled in pass protection all season. ESPN has them ranked No. 30 in pass block win rate for the year. While it would be nice to see more balance, it’s rare for offensive lines to be great at both. Finding better pass blockers should be a priority for the next front office regime, though.

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