Progress report and grades for Panthers offense through Week 4
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers OL
- Grade: A+
It was hard to put into words the amount of trepidation surrounding the Carolina Panthers’ offensive line before the season. This was an area they struggled in 2019 and there were plenty of skeptics who thought things might get worse before they get better in this department.
As it turns out, they have been arguably the biggest surprise on the roster. Their protection of quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has been exceptional and their ability to create holes in the running game has been a huge upgrade on anything we saw during the previous campaign.
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Much of this has to do with Taylor Moton‘s evolution into one of the NFL’s most talented tackles. This is not even up for debate anymore and the player is going to get the biggest of paydays from the Panthers in the not-too-distant future.
Russell Okung may have missed the last two games, but his performances over the opening fortnight were of the highest quality. Greg Little was impressive last time out and there might be some hope he can become the Super Bowl winner’s long-term successor if he continues to show enough promise.
Another who has stood out considerable is Matt Paradis, who has hit the ground running in pursuit of righting the wrongs of a poor 2019 season. He has been helped by the arrival of John Miller at the guard spot, and the introduction into the starting lineup of Chris Reed has been a masterstroke in their two wins.
With Dennis Daley poised to return from injury as early as next weekend, he might need to settle for a rotational role initially such has been the level of productivity from the offensive line overall.