The Carolina Panthers were widely expected to extend Taylor Moton this offseason. They've adopted a wait-and-see approach instead.
Moton's been among the very few genuine constants throughout David Tepper's ownership. While almost every other position on the roster, across the coaching staff, and in the front office endured upheaval annually, the veteran right tackle's supreme consistency saw him emerge into a franchise cornerstone quickly.
The former second-round pick rarely misses time. Moton's pass protection is exceptional. He's disciplined with enough power to carve open running lanes. He's not the most vocal leader, but the Western Michigan graduate is hugely respected in the locker room.
Carolina has Moton for one more year at least. He's heading into the final season of his deal and will count a whopping $31.34 million against the salary cap in 2025. For context, this equates to more than 11 percent of the Panthers' overall financial outlay.
Carolina Panthers plan to keep Taylor Moton around despite current contract stalemate
Dan Morgan resisted the urge to get this number down via a new contract or restructure. He thinks the Panthers have the freedom to take on the salary before taking further action. This cast doubt on Moton's future beyond the current campaign, but head coach Dave Canales put those fears to rest during his media availability at the annual league meetings.
Canales stated that so long as Moton is still performing at a high level and remains durable, the Panthers will keep him around. That alleviated the fears of some fans who thought Carolina was thinking about moving off the edge protector.
"T-Mo’s [Taylor Moton] been steady Eddie here for a long time, so we’re counting on him doing that again. He still plays really good football. He’s an excellent pass protector. He’s great on the front side of those runs, he moves people. So until those things are not apparent, we love having him."Dave Canales via The Athletic
This is a positive development. At the same time, it doesn't do much to alter the landscape of this situation.
Moton's already got three voided years on his contract totaling $4.8 million. Morgan's been extremely reluctant to kick the can down the road financially to put the Panthers in a more prosperous position. He's also letting things play out with the right tackle on the off-chance his exceptional performance levels start to dip.
This increases the prospect of Moton signing elsewhere, although the Panthers still hold all the cards. They could extend him before or during the season. They also have the option of utilizing the franchise tag to give themselves some extra breathing space if needed. That's why it's way too early to be pressing the panic button just yet.
Morgan has shown a willingness to reward those who prove their worth. Considering Moton has done that time and time again throughout his prolific stint in Carolina, it would be a surprise if an agreement didn't get worked out at some stage.
Just when that'll be remains to be seen.