Carolina Panthers: Starting the decade with some encouragement

Promising protection

First, I need to put all of the negativity behind the offensive line to rest. It seems like everyone already forgot that that there was a  sixth-round draft pick that got pressed into action after the Panthers lost a second-rounder to a concussion. It also seems like everyone forgot that there was a new center added to the mix this year after Ryan Kalil retired, but I digress.

Remember when everyone was raving about finally obtaining a “franchise left tackle” last April? I do, and I’m honestly not disappointed by how both of those guys did this year.

It’s nice to have just one reliable left tackle, and now the Panthers have two. What’s even better is that they’ll both have an entire offseason to get stronger and get shots at other spots on the line.

So for those of you who are unhappy about how the offensive line turned out this season, let me reassure you that the line will be a whole lot better next season. And when you think about it, the youth might afford the Carolina Panthers some security for quite a while.