5 key talking points from the Carolina Panthers’ pathetic Week 9 loss
By Luke Gray
Carolina Panthers face more OL injury worries
Don’t underestimate the impact the injury on Matt Paradis will have on the season. The former Denver Bronco has had his season cut short by an ACL tear after becoming the team’s most consistent member of the line this season alongside Taylor Moton.
His replacement Sam Tecklenburg isn’t the guy. We saw in the preseason just how much he struggled but it seems he’s now set for an extended period starting unless the Panthers shift Pat Elflein into the center spot.
We also saw another injury to left tackle Cam Erving, further justifying the great free agency decision to give him a two-year deal. This saw Trent Scott move to the blindside from the right guard position and he seemed to struggle.
Again, this shows that the coaching staff has very little trust in third-round pick Brady Christensen.
It’s possible we could see a totally revamped line in 2022. Moton will be the starting right tackle and it seems Michael Jordan has solidified the left guard spot at the expense of Elflein. Both John Miller and Matt Paradis’ contracts expire in the offseason and it would be a surprise to see them get new deals.
Maybe we see some improvement in Christensen and Deonte Brown and they take starting spots, but it seems the coaching staff hasn’t got much confidence in either player.