Risking with Rookies

Two major questions loom over the Panthers offensive line this offseason: what to do with Taylor Moton’s contract and how to find stability at center.

The Moton contract situation is particularly interesting because the team appears to be moving away from the “kick the can down the road” approach—spending now and dealing with the financial consequences later. However, with the strides Bryce Young made in the second half of the season, this is not the time to tinker with his protection. The Panthers must find a way to extend Moton and manage the cost down the line.

As for the center position, the team dropped the ball last year. There’s no need to rehash that mistake when they could have secured stability for the next decade. Heading into this season, Cade Mays seems like the logical choice, and based on his performance, fans should feel comfortable with that.

Which brings us to the draft. The Panthers must get ahead of the ball and start drafting players for the future rather than focusing solely on immediate impact. That’s not to say rookies can’t contribute, but relying on them to step into starting roles right away is not a recipe for success. Ideally, the team should select players who can develop into key contributors in years two, three, and four. That should be the strategy this year.

While they have long-term needs on the offensive line, particularly at center and tackle, they can still use picks in rounds three, four, and five to identify a future starter while also building depth. Whether you agree with the player or not, the pick of Chandler Zavala was solid in that they were building for depth. The failure occurred when he was forced into action too soon. The stability they have now gives them the flexibility to draft for both the present and the future.

Bottom line is that in a salary cap era, rookies are going to be forced into action.  You hope they are get up to speed quickly or maybe you can mask their inexperience.  It is my hope that the 2025 draft has more of a focus on 2026 and 2027 than it does 2025.