Despite his Ironman reputation, Carolina’s long-time right tackle Taylor Moton may be nearing the end of his journey in the NFL.
One of the more perplexing decisions the Carolina Panthers have made this offseason was not giving a contract extension to long-time starting right tackle Taylor Moton. For one thing, Moton has been as consistent as it gets at a key position ever since he was drafted eight years ago, missing a grand total of three games and performing at a high if not All-Star level.
From a salary cap perspective it also made a lot of sense to give Moton a new deal, which could save the team nearly $13 million this year, according to figures at Over the Cap.
Now we finally have a bit more context about Moton’s situation and it helps explain the team’s decision to let him play out the final year of his current deal. According to Joe Person at The Athletic, the team has some concern over his knees.
“Moton has been a picture of durability since joining the Panthers as second-round pick in 2017. But he will be 31 when next season starts and there is concern about the health of his knees.”
They don’t exactly grow Taylor Motons on trees – and if they’re hoping to find a potential long-term successor in the draft they certainly haven’t shown much interest in this class of tackles. So far, their only top-30 meeting with an offensive lineman has been with Minnesota left tackle Aireontae Ersery. They also met with Boston College right tackle Ozzy Trapilo at his pro day, but that’s it.
The Panthers have a window to really improve over the next couple of seasons as Bryce Young grows into his potential and they might just become a playoff team again, but only if they can keep their offensive line going at a strong level. If they plan on replacing Moton internally Yosh Nijman is technically the next man up. However, Brady Christensen might be a better long-term option.
