5 best offseason moves made by the Carolina Panthers in 2021
By Dean Jones
What are the best moves made by the Carolina Panthers during what was an immensely eventful 2021 offseason?
It certainly wasn’t dull where the Carolina Panthers were concerned this offseason. The organization made some bold moves in free agency, the trade market, and the 2021 NFL Draft during a frenzied period of player movement that will hopefully come with a stark turnaround in fortunes on the field when competitive action gets underway.
Nobody will know for sure just how these moves are going to pan out until we see the Panthers on the field in Week 1 against the New York Jets. There are plenty of reasons to be encouraged regarding a young, hungry roster. But even if it doesn’t result in an immediate trip to the postseason, the foundations for a successful future have officially been laid.
It’s not going to be easy. And the Panthers have to get themselves off to a good start in pursuit of generating some early momentum.
But it wouldn’t be the biggest shock in the world if significant strides were made.
Without further ado, we picked out the five best moves made by Carolina since the 2020 season came to a conclusion.
Carolina Panthers best moves of the 2021 offseason
Move No. 1
Franchise-tagging Taylor Moton
This was arguably priority No. 1 for the Carolina Panthers this offseason. Stud right tackle Taylor Moton’s production over the last three years has been nothing short of exceptional and considering the problems across other positions on the offensive line, letting him walk in free agency would have been a catastrophe.
It didn’t take long for the Panthers to place Moton under the franchise tag, which will pay the former Western Michigan standout $13.75 million in 2021 if a longer-term commitment cannot be reached.
There has been no news yet regarding the contract extension Moton undoubtedly deserves, but Carolina would be wise to tie up one of the league’s best edge protectors at the earliest possible opportunity.
Although it was an obvious move, tagging Moton was still one of the best of the offseason from the Panthers’ perspective.