Carolina Panthers: Greg Van Roten could be relegated to depth role
One Carolina Panthers offensive lineman may be on outside looking in for 2019.
Remember Greg Van Roten? Amidst all the excitement of the Carolina Panthers offseason, it is not shameful if you didn’t. He was a key part of the Carolina Panthers offensive line, playing in all 16 games at the left tackle position last year. He was a constant in what was an ever-revolving door of lineman for Carolina.
The Carolina Panthers did a great job of upgrading their line for the 2019 season. With guys like Greg Little and Matt Paradis new to the team, the Carolina Panthers have certainly made the line a position of depth now. Where does that leave van Roten? He will probably be relegated to a depth spot now.
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A lot of times you think of the phrase “depth players” as players who are not good and lack what it takes to be a starter. In this case, it is a matter of surplus for the Carolina Panthers. Van Roten is extremely talented, as he showed last year. As noted by statistics from Pro Football Focus, he was the best in pass protection. He received a 68.8 grade for his efforts.
He would certainly be a great piece to use for depth. The fact that he would be used as a depth piece is not a knock on him. Rather, it just speaks to how much depth the Carolina Panthers now have. As the Charlotte Observer talked about on Monday, there is a chance that Daryl Williams could struggle. You never know, it could happen. Especially coming off a season with injuries, Williams may not be himself right away. Overall, I think Williams should be able to play at a high level the season.
"Lost in the shuffle of offensive linemen? Last year’s starting left guard, Greg Van Roten. He was the only person to play 100 percent of Carolina’s offensive snaps in 2018, and yet he’s seemingly become a forgotten man this spring. He could slot back into the starting group if Williams struggles, but at worst, he’s a valuable depth piece across the line."
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Depth is never a bad thing. The Carolina Panthers found that out the hard way with the lack of depth last year. Van Roten is a veteran, one that is capable of filling many roles. Although he would obviously like to be in the starting lineup, he may be better suited as a reserve in 2019. That’s not a knock on what he brings to the table. The future is just so bright at the position that he may be the odd man out. This will be one of the more fascinating training camp battles to watch.