Tag: Pat Meyer

Panthers fire trio of coaches on Tuesday

With Matt Rhule’s job seemingly still not safe, the Panthers fired three assistant coaches on Tuesday.

Well, it looks like the Carolina Panthers will have more than just the offensive coordinator position to fill.

As reported by NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport on Tuesday morning, the team fired a trio of coaches off the heels of “Black Monday.” That now departed bunch includes special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn, offensive line coach Pat Meyer and defensive line coach Frank Okam.

Blackburn, dating back to the Ron Rivera regime, has served as the Panthers’ special teams coordinator for the past four seasons. He was promoted to the post back in 2018 after acting as an assistant in 2016 and 2017. The current campaign saw Carolina allow the fourth-most yards per kickoff return (26.5) and average third-fewest yards per punt attempt (42.5)

Meyer and Okam, who were brought on by head coach Matt Rhule, are now gone after both spent the past two years with the team. The Panthers’ offensive line, which has been of particular note, relinquished the fifth-most sacks in the league in 2021 (52).

Including the in-season firing of former offensive coordinator Joe Brady, Rhule has now parted ways with four different coaches on his staff this season.

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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.

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Report: Panthers signing former Chargers OL Michael Schofield

The Panthers are signing former Chargers guard Michael Schofield to a one-year deal, according to a report by Jeremy Fowler at ESPN.

The Panthers are signing former Chargers guard Michael Schofield to a one-year deal, according to a report by Jeremy Fowler at ESPN. Schofield has a connection via Carolina’s offensive line coach Pat Meyer, who was Schofield’s position coach the last three seasons.

Schofield (6-foot-6, 301 pounds) was originally a third-round draft pick by the Broncos in 2014. After three years in Denver, he moved on to the Chargers.

All together, he’s played in 76 NFL games, with 66 starts. He has mostly played right guard in the pros, but he has also put in time at right tackle and he came up playing left guard at Michigan.

Most likely, Carolina sees Schofield as the new starter at left guard to replace Greg Van Roten, who signed with the Jets.

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Report: Chargers offensive line coach Pat Meyer expected to join Panthers

The Los Angeles Chargers are losing one of their coaches to the Carolina Panthers.

Newly hired Panthers coach Matt Rhule has been hard at work to put his coaching staff together for the 2020 season.

Rhule is expected to hire Chargers offensive line coach and run game coordinator Pat Meyer, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.

Meyer has spent the past three seasons as the Chargers’ offensive line coach and run game coordinator. Before coming to Los Angeles, he was an offensive assistant for the Bills from 2015-16.

The offensive line has been a below average positional group for years now. That’s not to say Meyer is to blame, but the front office will surely be looking to fill the vacancy with a candidate that has a proven track record.