Who is the most underappreciated player on the Panthers' roster?
Who is the most underappreciated player on the Panthers' roster?
The most overlooked member on the Carolina Panthers roster should be hard to miss.
NFL Media's Tom Blair and Gennaro Filice recently named the most underappreciated player for each of the league's 32 teams. Filice took the reins for the NFC squads, and highlighted longtime starting right tackle Taylor Moton for Carolina.
He writes:
Moton is a rock-solid right tackle. That's really the best way to describe him. The last pick of the second round back in 2017, Moton took over the Panthers' starting RT job in 2018 and has capably manned it since. While he's never made a Pro Bowl, he has made 113 starts, including an ironman streak of 104 in a row that came to an end this past October, when Moton missed two games with a triceps injury. According to Pro Football Focus' charting, he has only allowed one sack in three of the past four seasons. To be clear, Moton is indeed appreciated by the Panthers, who gave him a four-year, $71.25 million extension back in July of 2021. But as the 30-year-old heads into a contract season, I question whether the wider football-watching public recognizes Moton's immense value as a reliable bookend in a league that just doesn't have enough quality offensive linemen.
That contract season has become an interesting topic of conversation over the past few months.
Moton is set to account for a massive cap hit of approximately $31.3 million in 2025. If they want to lighten that load and free up some extra money, the Panthers could rework the contract by adding more years beyond the upcoming campaign.
But, in what's been a curious non-move to many, they haven't touched the pact this offseason.
President of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan was asked about Moton's future last month.
"Yeah, we love Taylor," Morgan told reporters in April. "Taylor is, obviously, a really good player. We're excited about him and this season and from there, we'll get together and we'll figure out the future. But right now, we're focused on the now."
Up to now, Moton—one of the surest presences this franchise has ever had—has been worth every penny.
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
37 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The Times' baseball player of the year: Seth Hernandez of Corona
Years from now, when Seth Hernandez is pitching in the major leagues and pro baseball commentators are debating just how good he might become, those who saw him throw during his two years of high school baseball at Corona High will gladly offer their fondest memories. The statistics are impressive enough: In 53 1/3 innings this season, he struck out 105, gave up 19 hits and three earned runs for an ERA of 0.39. The most impressive statistic was walking only seven batters while using a 99-mph fastball. It showed his pinpoint control and how much he had improved over his junior season, when he walked 15 in 56 innings. 'That was his goal,' coach Andy Wise said. 'What are we going to do to get better?" Advertisement His pitching mechanics became more consistent, generating the kind of power and accuracy to cause people to repeatedly use the word 'special' in describing him on the mound. There also was the time he hit two three-run homers in the Panthers' Southern Section Division 1 playoff victory over Los Osos. He wasn't perfect, though, losing 2-0 to St. John Bosco in the Division 1 semifinals, finishing his high school career with an 18-1 pitching record for two seasons. He didn't mope. He didn't make excuses afterward. He knew there would be more challenges ahead. "I'm still a kid," he said. For a season of excellence, Hernandez has been named The Times' baseball player of the year for the second consecutive season. He's expected to be a high pick in next month's amateur draft. He also was named the Gatorade national player of the year. Advertisement One of his strengths for years has been his ability to perform while being watched by scouts, fans and opponents. He's comfortable in his environment, used to the attention and is particularly ready to begin his pro career and keep on a path toward pitching in the big leagues. Read more: The Times' 2025 All-Star baseball and softball coverage With Southern California having produced first-round draft picks such as Paul Skenes (El Toro), Gerrit Cole (Orange Lutheran), Trevor Bauer (Hart), Max Fried (Harvard-Westlake) and Jack Flaherty (Harvard-Westlake) in recent years, it's pretty clear that Hernandez's resume fits in well and offers confidence in his abilities. He's also glad he decided to play high school baseball after being home-schooled. Advertisement 'At the end of the day, I have brothers for life and I'll never forget the memories I spent with them,' he said of his high school days. Sign up for the L.A. Times SoCal high school sports newsletter to get scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Broncos roster: OLB Nik Bonitto (No. 15) aims for another big season in contract year
Broncos roster: OLB Nik Bonitto (No. 15) aims for another big season in contract year Broncos Wire's 90-man offseason roster series continues today with a look at fourth-year outside linebacker Nik Bonitto, No. 15. Before the Broncos: Nik Bonitto played for four years at the University of Oklahoma from 2018-21. Over his four-year tenure, Bonitto earned three honors: AP third-team All-American (2021), second-team All-Big 12 (2021) and second-team All-American (2020). Over 40 games played, Bonitto recorded 117 tackles (68 solo, 49 assisted, 35 tackles for loss), 18.5 sacks, one interception, one forced fumble, three fumble recoveries and seven pass deflections. Bonitto was selected in the second round (64th overall) of the 2022 NFL draft by the Denver Broncos. Broncos tenure: Bonitto had a rocky rookie season, playing in 15 games, only starting one game and totaling 14 tackles (six solo, eight assisted, one for loss), one forced fumble and 1.5 sacks, hardly the type of year the Broncos were hoping for from their highest draft pick in 2022. Bonttio took a step forward in 2023, a year in which he started four games. Bonitto upped his sack total to 8.0, made 30 tackles (23 solo, seven assisted, 13 tackles for loss), two pass deflections and one forced fumble. If 2023 was a step forward, 2024 was an explosion, and one every bit as much as the Broncos were hoping for when they drafted Bonitto in 2022. Bonitto started 15 games, totaling 48 tackles (33 solo, 15 assisted, 16 tackles for loss, 24 QB hits), two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one interception. Bonitto's fumble recovery and interception both went for touchdowns. Bonitto's huge jump earned him a Pro Bowl nod, as well as second-team All-Pro honors. Chances to make the 53-man roster: 100 percent. Bonitto had a breakout year in 2024, and is in the middle of contract extension talks with the Denver front office to keep him with the Broncos for the foreseeable future. Bonitto is primed for another big year in 2025, and Broncos Country is excited to see what the future holds. Related: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
PFF ranks Broncos' Brandon Jones among NFL's top 10 safeties
Zoltan Buday of Pro Football Focus recently compiled a list of the top 32 safeties in the NFL heading into the 2025 season. Denver Broncos safety Brandon Jones -- who had a solid season in 2024 with 115 tackles, three interceptions, and ten pass deflections -- made the cut. Buday ranked Jones in the top 10. 'Durability was an issue for Jones during his years with the Dolphins, but while he never topped 650 snaps with Miami, he logged 1,042 snaps in his first season with the Broncos," Buday wrote on PFF. "He further elevated his play, too, especially in coverage. He earned an 89.8 PFF coverage grade, which ranked third among safeties, similar to his 84.8 PFF overall grade.' While Jones didn't nab a Pro Bowl or All-Pro last fall, his play helped boost the Broncos back to the playoffs for the first time since their Super Bowl season in 2015. Jones will look to build off of a great 2024 season going into 2025. Related: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.
