The Panthers only had one player make the Pro Football Focus list of the top 101 players in the NFL this year.
Right tackle Taylor Moton came in at No. 78 on their list.
“Taylor Moton has been an impressive pass blocker for his entire NFL career, but this was the first season that his run blocking elevated to meet it. Moton allowed just 20 total pressures across his 16 games of action and had a PFF run-blocking grade of 76.3, almost 10 grading points higher than his previous career high.”
While there are a lot of great edge defenders in the league right now, it’s hard for us to accept that there are 101 better players in the league than Carolina defensive end Brian Burns, who PFF named as the team’s most-improved player of the year. He should have made the cut.
The Panthers could have had another, but they let James Bradberry leave in free agency. He had a great year for Dave Gettleman’s Giants and ranked No. 84 on PFF’s list. Carolina is expected to draft another corner this year to pair with Donte Jackson outside.
As for Moton, he will become an unrestricted free agent next month. If he’s allowed to take a similar path as Bradberry it could be even more damaging for this franchise. Offensive tackle and cornerback are two of the modern game’s most important positions and also two of the biggest weaknesses on this roster. Addressing both this offseason should be a priority, beginning with giving Moton a new contract.
