4 things new Panthers GM Scott Fitterer should already know
By Dean Jones
Moton’s importance to the Carolina Panthers
Scott Fitterer will have watched plenty of film surrounding the Carolina Panthers in 2020, which should leave him in no doubt as to the importance of Taylor Moton to the organization. The right tackle is one of the best around when it comes to protecting the edge and he made himself a ton of money during the campaign.
Moton now has three years of outstanding production to take with him to the bargaining table this spring. Getting consistent production from the tackle position is a crucial component to any successful team and if the Panthers let him walk, it would be nothing short of a disaster.
Keeping Moton won’t be cheap. But it’s something Carolina simply has to do.
They have four starting linemen out of contract including Moton. The future of Matt Paradis is also in some real doubt due to the financial savings involved with his release.
This only strengthens the former second-round pick’s position this offseason. So even with money being very tight, letting Moton test the free-agent market would send out the wrong message and see a queue of suitors lining up to give him a bumper offer.
Fitterer holds the cards, at least for now.
Even if terms cannot be agreed with Moton, the Panthers would be wise to slap the franchise tag on one of their key players to give themselves more time to work out a deal.