Tag: Taylor Moton

Panthers 2020 season snap counts: Taylor Moton, Tre Boston on top

Here is a review of the team’s snap counts this year, per Pro Football Reference.

As if the Carolina Panthers needed another reason to pay right tackle Taylor Moton, he played every offensive snap of the 2020 season.

Here is a review of the team’s snap counts this year, per Pro Football Reference.

Offense

Player Offensive snaps Offensive % Special teams snaps ST%
OT Taylor Moton 1,032 100% 74 17.66%
C Matt Paradis 1,029 99.71% 0 0%
QB Teddy Bridgewater 927 89.83% 0 0%
G John Miller 910 88.18% 27 6.44%
G Chris Reed 892 86.43% 64 15.27%
WR D.J. Moore 835 80.91% 5 1.19%
WR Robby Anderson 804 77.91% 5 1.19%
TE Ian Thomas 672 65.12% 19 4.53%
WR Curtis Samuel 658 63.76% 2 .48%
RB Mike Davis 579 56.10% 33 7.8%
TE Chris Manhertz 502 48.64% 79 18.85%
OT Russell Okung 406 39.34% 5 1.19%
OT Trent Scott 347 33.62% 68 16.23%
G Michael Schofield 270 26.16% 46 10.98%
TE Colin Thompson 183 17.73% 137 32.7%
RB Christian McCaffrey 171 16.57% 1 .24%
FB Alex Armah 145 14.05% 203 48.45%
WR/KR Pharoh Cooper 143 13.86% 122 29.12%
G Dennis Daley 135 13.08% 4 .95%
OT Greg Little 134 12.98% 28 6.68%
RB Rodney Smith 133 12.89% 3 .72%
WR Brandon Zylstra 125 12.11% 244 58.23%
QB P.J. Walker 107 10.37% 0 0%
WR Seth Roberts 93 9.01% 8 1.91%
RB Trenton Cannon 43 4.17% 168 40.10%
WR Keith Kirkwood 35 3.39% 5 1.19%
RB Reggie Bonnafon 23 2.23% 16 3.82%
C Tyler Larsen 7 .68% 61 14.56%
QB Tommy Stevens 5 .48% 0 0%
RB Myles Hartsfield 4 .39% 253 60.83%
WR Marken Michel 3 .29% 15 3.58%
OT Matt Kaskey 0 0% 1 .24%
C Sam Tecklenburg 0 0% 8 1.91%

What stands out here is the jumble at left tackle. Hopefully next year we’ll see whoever plays there near the top with the other starting offensive linemen and the quarterback. Of couse, having a healthy Christian McCaffrey would make a huge difference, as well.

Defense

Player Defensive snaps Defensive % Special teams snaps ST %
FS Tre Boston 1,037 97.92% 69 16.47%
LB Shaq Thompson 1,031 97.36% 90 21.48%
DB/LB Jeremy Chinn 967 91.31% 103 24.58%
CB Rasul Douglas 821 77.53% 83 19.81%
SS Juston Burris 790 74.6% 76 18.14%
DE Brian Burns 750 70.82% 70 16.71%
DT Derrick Brown 742 70.07% 73 17.42%
CB Donte Jackson 599 56.56% 33 7.88%
CB Troy Pride Jr. 529 49.95% 141 33.65%
DT Bravvion Roy 419 39.57% 54 12.89%
DE Efe Obada 415 39.19% 65 15.51%
CB Corn Elder 411 38.81% 148 35.32%
LB Tahir Whitehead 398 37.58% 52 12.41%
DE Marquis Haynes 390 36.83% 23 5.49%
DT Zach Kerr 390 36.83% 90 21.48%
DE Yetur Gross-Matos 377 35.6% 40 9.55%
DE Stephen Weatherly 358 33.81% 29 6.92%
LB Jermaine Carter 284 26.82% 238 56.8%
S Sam Franklin 248 23.42% 156 37.23%
DB Myles Hartsfield 140 13.22% 253 60.38%
DE Austin Larkin 127 11.99% 49 11.69%
DT Kawann Short 123 11.61% 10 2.39%
LB Adarius Taylor 111 10.48% 198 47.26%
CB Stantley Thomas-Oliver 74 6.99% 108 25.78%
DT Woodrow Hamilton 57 5.38% 4 .95%
CB Eli Apple 28 2.64% 6 1.43%
LB Julian Stanford 16 1.51% 260 62.05%
LB Chris Orr 6 .57% 50 11.93%
FS Kenny Robinson 6 .57% 128 30.55%
LB Clay Johnson 3 .28% 21 5.01%
DB Natrell Jamerson 1 .09% 43 10.26%

This side of the ball had injury problems of their own. It’s encouraging how well the defensive line performed considering all the lost snaps they had.

Specialists

Player Special teams snaps ST%
K Joey Slye 155 36.99%
LS J.J. Jansen 124 29.59%
P Joseph Charlton 124 29.59%

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2 Panthers players snubbed from NFC’s 2021 Pro Bowl roster

While they didn’t have many candidates, there are at least two who deserved a spot.

The NFL just announced the rosters for the 2021 Pro Bowl teams. While there’s no actual game to be played due to the pandemic, that doesn’t mean we don’t get to complain about obvious snubs.  In the end, no Carolina Panthers players made the cut for the NFC squad. While they didn’t have many candidates, there are at least two who deserved a spot.

Panthers defensive end Brian Burns is the first. At one point, he was leading the fan-part of the voting at his position in the conference. He was soon surpassed by Cameron Jordan of the Saints, though. Brandon Graham of the Eagles and Washington rookie Chase Young took the NFC’s other EDGE spots.

So, what happened?

Part of the problem is that team success inevitably plays a huge role in consideration for individual awards. While rightfully the two should be separated, that’s just not the way it works.

Burns’ traditional pass rushing numbers are also a bit behind the league’s other elite edge defenders. This is also part of the issue. Most people will focus exclusively on sacks and Burns “only” has eight so far this season to go with 20 quarterback hits.

Traditional stats aren’t everything, though. Burns has been every bit as disruptive as any edge defender in the NFC this year. Burns currently ranks fifth in pass rush win rate at his position and has occasionally broken into the top 10 in run stop win rate, as well. With more time in the league, Burns will eventually get his proper respect.

Another candidate as a snub was right tackle Taylor Moton. He’s blocked at a high level for the pass and the run all season. He had some pretty brutal competition, though. David Bakhtiari, Trent Williams and Terron Armstead are the three OTs on the NFC side.

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PFF: Panthers stud Taylor Moton NFL’s highest-graded right tackle in 2020

Every day the Carolina Panthers don’t give Taylor Moton an extension is a missed opportunity.

Every day the Carolina Panthers don’t give Taylor Moton an extension is a missed opportunity.

Moton is in the final year of his rookie contract and has been balling out since he became a starter three seasons ago. In 2020, Moton has ascended to an elite level, though. According to Pro Football Focus, Moton is their highest-graded right tackle in the NFL this season.

The latest reporting from the Athletic says that the team has not held any contract talks with Moton as of yet.

Moton was part of the previous general manager’s last draft class, but that’s hardly a legitimate reason not to pay an exceptional talent like this. He came into the league as a mauler in the run game and has developed into an extremely reliable pass protector, as well.

This season Moton has shut down some of the game’s best pass rushers, including Chargers star Joey Bosa.

Moton also snuffed out Cameron Jordan when the Panthers played the Saints back in Week 7.

 

Of course, extending the best offensive linemen in the league doesn’t come cheap. At the moment, Lane Johnson of the Eagles is earning $18 million a year, the highest average among right tackles, per Over the Cap. Any fair-market deal for Moton would cost at least that much.

If concerns about whether or not he’ll live up to that pricetag is the holdup, then this front office doesn’t deserve him. Moton is worth penny coming his way and if the Panthers don’t pay another team will.

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Report: Still no contract talks between Panthers and Taylor Moton

According to a report by Joe Person at the Athletic, there have still been no contract extension talks between Carolina and right tackle Taylor Moton.

The Carolina Panthers have the week off. It seems like a good time to catch up around the office on some long-term projects that need to be addressed. The most important item on the team’s to-do list remains unchecked, though. In fact, the Panthers haven’t even gotten started.

According to a report by Joe Person at the Athletic, there have still been no contract extension talks between Carolina and right tackle Taylor Moton.

Since he became a full-time starter in 2018, Moton has been blocking at a very high level. If he had been signed to an extension at any point over the last year and a half it would likely have saved Carolina a lot of money down the road. Now, the team runs the risk of either having to hit Moton with the franchise tag, or possibly see him cash in with another team in free agency in March.

Every week they wait the pricetag goes up. According to Pro Football Focus, Moton has only allowed 12 pressures all season. That’s tied for the second-lowest number among qualified offensive tackles.

Marty Hurney has made some brilliant picks in the first round of the draft during his two tenures as GM. However, the way he’s gone about extensions has rightly drawn a fair amount of criticism. During his first run, he handed out several ill-advised, player-friendly contracts that decimated the team’s salary cap situation. Now, he’s been prioritizing the wrong positions.

Last offseason, the Panthers paid big money to Christian McCaffrey (four years, $64 million) and Shaq Thompson (four years, $54 million). Meanwhile, the team’s top cornerback James Bradberry was allowed to leave in free agency. He signed a bargain of a three-year, $43.5 million contract with Dave Gettleman’s Giants and has had a breakout year, becoming one of the league’s best shutdown corners.

Allowing Moton to walk would qualify as an even worse decision than letting Bradberry leave.

The Panthers have an analytics department, so they should know better than to pay running backs and off-ball linebackers over corners, tackles and wide receivers like Curtis Samuel, who is also due for an extension. For whatever reason, there’s a major disconnect between how contenders are built in the modern NFL and how Carolina continues to do business under Hurney.

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The NFL’s 2021 All-Free Agent Team: The Offense

Whether your team is on top of the playoff picture, on the fringe, or out of the picture entirely, there’s nothing unusual about turning one’s thoughts to the next wave of free agency, which takes place when the new league year begins in March. …

Whether your team is on top of the playoff picture, on the fringe, or out of the picture entirely, there’s nothing unusual about turning one’s thoughts to the next wave of free agency, which takes place when the new league year begins in March. Projected revenue shortfalls in the 2020 season due to COVID has the estimated 2021 salary cap at $175 million, down from 2020’s figure of $198.2 million.

That would affect the total value of free agent contracts to a degree — the lower ceiling would present a lower aggregate — but that notwithstanding, there’s a ton of potential talent on the hoof once that gate opens.

Here, per our statistical and tape study, are the best offensive free agents of the 2021 league year. We’ll get to the defense later in the week.

(All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus and OverTheCap.com).

To pay or not to pay? Examining the Carolina Panthers’ pending 2021 free agents

Let’s take a look at each of the team’s pending free agents for next year and decide whether or not they are worth keeping around, beginning with the offensive linemen.

The Carolina Panthers made some… interesting personnel decisions last offseason. While there’s nothing they could have done about Luke Kuechly’s sudden retirement, some of their moves were truly confusing. Trading Trai Turner for Russell Okung and extending Shaq Thompson and Christian McCaffrey while allowing James Bradberry to walk were all more than questionable decisions, to say nothing of the unpardonable sin of releasing former league MVP Cam Newton and using that cap space to sign an inferior bridge QB to a three-year deal.

Hopefully general manager Marty Hurney will make better decisions with the 2021 class. Let’s take a look at each of the team’s pending free agents for next year and decide whether or not they are worth keeping around, beginning with the offensive linemen.

Cameron Jordan mocks Panthers K Joey Slye for missing 65-yard field goal

The close call hasn’t humbled them, despite fielding a defense that looks like a shell of itself compared to last season.

Panthers kicker Joey Slye had a chance to tie the game late against the Saints in Sunday’s loss.

His 65-yard field goal attempt fell just short, though. That effectively sealed a three-point win for New Orleans, a team that used to absolutely dominate these Panthers.

The close call hasn’t humbled them, despite fielding a defense that looks like a shell of itself compared to last season.

After the game, the Saints’ 6-foot-4, 287 pound All-Pro defensive end Cameron Jordan decided to call PFT and mock Slye, claiming that the Saints defense knew it was going to be a miss all the way.

“If anything, I don’t even think we sent our edge rushers. We knew this was out of this guy’s helm and it was straight and we were the entire time telling him like he wasn’t gonna make it and we all knew that. I think he knew that, and that’s how it played out. . . I was not surprised that he didn’t make it.”

As for Jordan, he was less successful going up against players his own size today. He essentially got shut out by Taylor Moton. Jordan finished the game with two forgettable tackles and made no impact on the outcome.

Organizations take on the personalities of their leaders and this New Orleans team is no exception. It’s hard not to admire Alvin Kamara’s game, but overall these Saints remain a tremendously unlikeable and underachieving group considering their prodigious talent.

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2 Panthers players named among NFL’s Secret Superstars of Week 5

Moton was one of two Carolina players who have been named among the league’s secret superstars of Week 5 by Doug Farrar at Touchdown Wire.

After four strong years in the NFL, Panthers right tackle Taylor Moton is finally starting to get some proper respect and national recognition. Moton is having the best season of his career so far and was particularly impressive against the Falcons this past week.

Moton was one of two Carolina players who have been named among the league’s secret superstars of Week 5 by Doug Farrar at Touchdown Wire.

“We’re including Moton here because he’s one of the reasons Carolina’s run game has sustained without the efforts of Christian McCaffrey, along with aforementioned running back Mike Davis. We’re including Moton here because he’s allowed no sacks, no quarterback hits, and just five quarterback hurries in 203 pass-blocking snaps.”

Moton’s monster block on Atlanta defensive end John Cominsky also earned a well-deserved mention.

Running back Mike Davis also made the cut on Farrar’s list.

“Over the last three weeks, the Panthers are 3-0 with Davis as their primary back, and in those three weeks, per Pro Football Focus, Davis is tied for 10th in attempts (45), ranks sixth in rushing yards (216), sixth in yards per attempt (4.9), tied for seventh with five runs of 10 or more yards, tied for first with Todd Gurley with four runs of 15 or more yards, fourth in yards after contact (202), and second in yards after contact per attempt.”

Good stuff.

Next up, these Panthers will get a true test when they play the Bears, who have the toughest defensive unit they will face during the 2020 season.

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Panthers Highlights: OT Taylor Moton shares teaching tape moment

Panthers Highlights: OT Taylor Moton shares teaching tape moment.

Here’s one for the offensive line nerds.

Panthers right tackle Taylor Moton shared this beautiful backside block on Twitter this morning. Moton says he led his high school in rebounding for a reason.

Odds are in today’s NBA he would be called for a foul, there. It’s exceptional technique for football, though.

This is just one more example of Moton doing everything the right way. Heading into the 2020 season, he is the player on the roster most deserving of a contract extension.

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Underrated Panthers OT Taylor Moton comments on contract situation

Heading into the 2020 season, no Panthers player is more deserving of a contract extension than right tackle Taylor Moton.

Heading into the 2020 season, no Panthers player is more deserving of a contract extension than right tackle Taylor Moton. Moton (6-foot-5, 325 pounds) didn’t come into the NFL as a stud right tackle, but he has developed into a well above average starter and one of the most underrated offensive linemen in the league. This year, Pro Football Focus has him ranked No. 20 at his position.

During his Zoom call with the media today, Moton was asked about a potential contract extension. He deferred on the subject, saying he trusts his agent and is focused on being the best OT he can be.

A textbook answer from a smart student of the game.

So, where do things stand?

According to a report by David Newton at ESPN, there are ongoing talks between Moton’s team and the Panthers. Nothing is imminent, though.

Newton may not be the average Carolina fan’s favorite reporter. It is worth noting he predicted the Panthers would move on from Cam Newton and sign Teddy Bridgewater a long time before it actually happened.

Either way, Moton deserves his money and provided he doesn’t get injured his price will continue to go up every week they don’t extend him.

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