Who has been one of the most consistent offensive linemen for the Carolina Panthers? Their right tackle, Taylor Moton. Let me explain why…
The Carolina Panthers have had their woes when it comes to inconsistency with their offensive line. Their offensive line was an issue when Cam Newton played for Carolina. Every year it seemed like a rotating door of linemen. Whether it was injuries or poor play, it seemed like there was a different crew every week.
There were a lot of questions going into this season for the Panthers with them trading guard Trai Turner in exchange for tackle Russell Okung. While it filled a void at the tackle position, it left another void open at the guard position. Surprisingly this season, Carolina has had one of the best offensive lines in the league. So far this season they have kept the pocket clean for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater on 75% of his drop backs.
Now this is where Moton comes into the conversation. Moton is in his fourth year in the NFL out of Western Michigan. He was drafted in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. 2021 is a contract year for Moton, and the Panthers should pay this man!
In his time at Western Michigan, Moton played at both the guard and tackle, so he is very versatile. In 2014 he played at tackle, then in 2015 he played at guard, then in 2016 he moved back to tackle. Western Michigan’s offensive line was one of the best in the nation and he was a part of it. He was durable; he started every single game of his college career.
In his rookie season Moton’s base salary was $465,000 with a bonus of $291,027. Each season his contract has gradually increased by $200,000. Next season he is looking at a contract year where he has the potential to make a lot of money. According to Over the Cap, Moton is in the top quadrant of his position.
Why does Moton deserve to get paid?
Well for one he is consistent in the pass game. In week three the Panthers played the Los Angeles Chargers. For a decent part of the game he was going up against the main pass rusher for the Chargers, Joey Bosa. Moton did a phenomenal job as he shadowed him and contained him for the majority of the game. Bosa did have one sack during the game but it was not when he was lined up against Moton.
Not only is he a big part of pass protection for the Panthers, he is also a huge part of their run game. Often he is asked to pull, take on interior defensive linemen, and get up field to help block in the run game. You can really see his experience at guard coming into play. Last season he definitely had a hand in the historic season Christian McCaffrey had. Okung is finally healthy and for the upcoming weeks, him and Moton should be a solid duo in pass protection.
The Panthers have been looking for consistency with their offensive line, and with center Matt Paradis, right tackle Taylor Moton, and left tackle Russell Okung; they are slow but surely building a solid group of guys. They will be put to the test in the coming weeks with a lot of division battles coming in the near future and teams with a lot of playoff potential. To ensure the protection of either Bridgewater and McCaffrey who is the face of their franchise, it would be wise to pay to keep a solid offensive line.
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