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Carolina Panthers: Rebuilding the Offensive Line

By John Woodcock

Nov 17, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) shakes hands with center Ryan Kalil (67) after scoring a touchdown in the first quarter against the New Orleans Saints at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 17, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) shakes hands with center Ryan Kalil (67) after scoring a touchdown in the first quarter against the New Orleans Saints at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Carolina Panthers need to address the wings of the offensive line to get better performance next year.

With the Carolina Panthers, 2016 was about one unit in particular. That unit was the offensive line. Mangled by injuries, the line just could not protect Cam Newton the way it needed to. As a result Newton turned in a tough year where he never could comfortable in the pocket and got hit a lot. The run game was also less prolific this season because of the less dependable blocking.

Any chance of improvement for the Panthers has to center around getting the line back in shape. Some of that may happen when players come back healthy. Ryan Kalil and his backup Gino Gradkowski both went down at the center position. If Kalil comes back healthy then the Panthers have an All-Pro at center. That box would be checked.

The guard position is also pretty stable for the moment. Andrew Norwell was the only lineman not to miss a game or be moved out of position. Trai Turner proved that he is much more at home as a guard rather than a right tackle. The Panthers noticed this to by moving him back inside when Daryl Williams returned to action. Turner is another All-Pro in the right spot.

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Therefore things must come down to the tackle position. On one end is Michael Oher. Oher missed most of the season with concussion related issues. Is he coming back? Will he be at full strength if he comes back?

The other side would be Mike Remmers, who has proven he can do spot duty on the left side. He is not the long term answer out there if Oher does not return. He would be better on the right side where he spent most of his time. Remmers is also a free agent this off season.

If the Panthers were to invest major money in a positional upgrade, this would be the place for it. Unfortunately the market is not friendly to the tackle position this off season. The most attractive option would be snagging Ryan Kalil’s brother Matt from the Vikings. He is about five years younger that Ryan. An older option might be to bring over Gosder Cherilus from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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    • Then there is the draft. Several mock draft boards have the Panthers taking the top lineman in the draft. They identify that person as Cam Robinson, the big tackle out of Alabama. Robinson looks the part and he has played in a grinding run first pro scheme for his college career. However if you remove the Panthers from the draft pool he would fall much later into the round.

    Regardless how the Panthers handle their tackle issue they need to come into camp with four guys at least – a new guy, Oher, Remmers, and Williams. If Oher retires then they need two new guys. An ideal situation would see either Oher or Remmers coming off the bench.

    Additionally, the Panthers probably need a dedicated run blocking tight end to supplement the line in certain formations. Ed Dickson just is not the guy for that kind of work.

    With the Carolina Panthers, 2016 was about one unit in particular. That unit was the offensive line. Mangled by injuries, the line just could not protect Cam Newton the way it needed to. As a result Newton turned in a tough year where he never could comfortable in the pocket and got hit a lot. The run game was also less prolific this season because of the less dependable blocking.

    Any chance of improvement for the Panthers has to center around getting the line back in shape. Some of that may happen when players come back healthy. Ryan Kalil and his backup Gino Gradkowski both went down at the center position. If Kalil comes back healthy then the Panthers have an All-Pro at center. That box would be checked.

    The guard position is also pretty stable for the moment. Andrew Norwell was the only lineman not to miss a game or be moved out of position. Trai Turner proved that he is much more at home as a guard rather than a right tackle. The Panthers noticed this to by moving him back inside when Daryl Williams returned to action. Turner is another All-Pro in the right spot.

    Therefore things must come down to the tackle position. On one end is Michael Oher. Oher missed most of the season with concussion related issues. Is he coming back? Will he be at full strength if he comes back?

    The other side would be Mike Remmers, who has proven he can do spot duty on the left side. He is not the long term answer out there if Oher does not return. He would be better on the right side where he spent most of his time. Remmers is also a free agent this off season.

    If the Panthers were to invest major money in a positional upgrade, this would be the place for it. Unfortunately the market is not friendly to the tackle position this off season. The most attractive option would be snagging Ryan Kalil’s brother Matt from the Vikings. He is about five years younger that Ryan. An older option might be to bring over Gosder Cherilus from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

    More from Old North Banter

    Then there is the draft. Several mock draft boards have the Panthers taking the top lineman in the draft. They identify that person as Cam Robinson, the big tackle out of Alabama. Robinson looks the part and he has played in a grinding run first pro scheme for his college career. However if you remove the Panthers from the draft pool he would fall much later into the round.

    Regardless how the Panthers handle their tackle issue they need to come into camp with four guys at least – a new guy, Oher, Remmers, and Williams. If Oher retires then they need two new guys. An ideal situation would see either Oher or Remmers coming off the bench.

    Next: Panthers Draft Position Revealed

    Additionally, the Panthers probably need a dedicated run blocking tight end to supplement the line in certain formations. Ed Dickson just is not the guy for that kind of work.

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