FanPost

The Panthers Really Need To Start Taking The OT Position Seriously

It is amazing how the Panthers have added several OGs in the draft and free agency the past few years - so many that they would actually have a glut at the position were Edmund Kugbila actually to ever get healthy - but haven't drafted or signed an OT since a "let's draft Cam Newton's teammate" move with Lee Ziemba in the 7th round in 2011 and before then taking Jeff Otah and Geoff Schwartz in the 1st and 7th rounds in 2008 (ironically of the two Geoff Schwartz is still in the NFL, though at OG).

Yes, the Panthers had injuries to RB and WR. Yes, their defense and special teams were bigger problems than the offense. But the Steelers gameplan worked because they were pretty much able to manhandle the Panthers' OL with only 3 guys all night long. This is precisely because the Panthers have undrafted free agents manning both OT spots.

I know, you are not going to get a franchise LT where the Panthers are going to be drafting. Fine, but you can get a better player at LT than Byron Bell. Ditto for Nate Chandler at RT. Since the Panthers are probably never going to have Greg Hardy again - primarily because Hardy chooses to fight it out in court rather than simply take the 6 game suspension that would have him back on the field by late October - maybe taking Kony Ealy over an OT wasn't such a horrible decision. (Or at least it would not have been as horrible if Ealy could actually play.) But my goodness, 3 OTs went in the next 7 spots after the Panthers took Ealy. One of them, Justin Britt is the starting RT for Seattle already.

Because Cam Newton is the QB, they don't need a "true" LT incidentally. They merely need better players at OT than undrafted free agents. Yes, they have other needs. They need long term solutions at safety and CB (although the possibility that such guys are on the roster should be investigated) as well as another good young WR. They could probably use some more help at LB seeing as to how Pittsburgh rushed for 265 yards against them last night (fortunately there are not any good rushing attacks in the NFC South). But make no mistake: OT is the team's biggest need right now.

The good news: the Panthers will free up a ton of cap space by virtue of either not having to re-sign Greg Hardy, or being able to retain him for very cheap. They should definitely use that cap space to go after the top veteran OT on the market (with the caveat that teams generally do not expose GOOD offensive tackles in free agency unless they have injury or consistency issues) and then use their #1 pick on the best OT on the board.

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