CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ Last season, in his first year as Carolina Panthers team owner, it didn't take David Tepper long to highlight one of the team's greatest problem areas:
"Listen, the offensive line looked like a disaster," Tepper told reporters after the 2018 season. "You have to give (run game coordinator John) Matsko a lot of credit. It was as good as it possibly could be. So it was a good coaching job."
Credit to Matsko, one of the league's more revered offensive line coaches, but as for the offensive line ... yikes. That's not what you want to hear from anyone in a position of power. Tepper, of course, wasn't the only one conscious of the offensive line's struggles in 2018, and so general manager Marty Hurney prioritized improving the offensive line this offseason.
That began during free agency, when the team signed center Matt Paradis from Denver to replace the retired Ryan Kalil. Hurney also re-signed former Pro Bowl tackle Daryl Williams to a one-year deal. Both players are recovering from significant season-ending injuries: Williams injured his knee in Week 1, and Paradis fractured his fibula in November. Carolina also opted to release left tackle Matt Kalil, who missed the 2018 season with his own knee injury.
To fill the void at left tackle, Hurney and coach Ron Rivera turned to the NFL draft. The team traded up in the second round to select tackle Greg Little out of Mississippi, hoping he can develop into that unit's final missing piece.
Going into training camp, how this new offensive line meshes will be of utmost importance. With Cam Newton recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, protecting the quarterback has arguably never been more important. Left guard Trai Turner and right tackle Taylor Moton both return as starters, but beyond that, how three new players fit in will be worth monitoring in Spartanburg.
