Carolina Panthers: Offensive line gets early, yet exciting, praise
The Carolina Panthers should be in good shape with this unit come the fall.
The Carolina Panthers offensive line should be one to watch in 2019. That is certainly not something we would’ve said last year, but a much-improved unit should make life easier for the offense.
With new additions such as center Matt Paradis and left tackle Greg Little, they are joined by Panthers veterans in Trai Turner, Daryl Williams, and Taylor Moton.
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Out of that list, the player I am most excited to see perform on the line is Williams. An injury-plagued 2018 season kept him from reaching his full potential, and the former All-Pro would probably want a mulligan on last season. Now however, he appears to be healthy and ready to go.
On Tuesday, Pro Football Focus did rankings on the best offensive lines in the National Football League. The Carolina Panthers were placed rather highly on the list at No. 10, which is great to see as it gives me hope that they will be able to help the offense in a major way this season.
Perhaps what is most encouraging about this year’s offensive line is that they have a great mix of veteran and youth talent. A guy like Williams has “been there, done that” while someone like Little is just trying to get his feet wet in the league. Last year, I thought the line was too old at times, and youth was desperately needed. They certainly addressed that in the draft in April.
Pro Football Focus certainly had high praise for the line, something that bodes well for the start of the season. I usually don’t put a ton of stock into these rankings, but the fact that a high-ranking publication thinks of them in a positive light is certainly a great building block for the team.
"Carolina’s front five very well could finish a lot higher on this list when the 2019 season comes to a close. Signing veteran center Matt Paradis this offseason was a slam dunk for the Panthers’ brass, as he was one of the NFL’s top pass-blocking and run-blocking centers before he went down with injury last season. Returning starters Trai Turner and Taylor Moton both earned 79.0-plus pass-blocking grades and shouldn’t waver in that regard in 2019."
As far as I’m concerned, their main job is keeping Cam Newton upright. He took way too many hits last year, and that needs to change. In addition to just making sure he stays injury-free, his new group of receivers would benefit as well. More time equals more open looks and chances for them to make plays. I can’t wait to see what this offense does next season. They have unlimited potential.
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It’s great to see the offensive line getting national media recognition. Hopefully, they will play as well as projected. If they can do that, there are going to be some special Sunday’s in Charlotte.