USAT: Panthers Wire audio clip

USAT: Panthers Wire

Mar 12, 2022

Not to toot our own horn, but the Carolina Panthers might be stealing a page out of our playbook. That’s right, we totally came up with the notion that adding one of the game’s best left tackles is, in fact, a great idea. - In our Week 2 edition of “Player Prowl,” where we hypothetically pluck a player of our choosing from the opposition, we handpicked Terron Armstead of the New Orleans Saints. Brilliant, creative and completely original, right? - Okay, fine—maybe that isn’t actually the case. But there is another publication that believes signing Armstead would be a fine move for the Panthers. - While identifying the top potential landing spots for the soon-to-be free agent, Anthony Treash of Pro Football Focus included Carolina in a five-team field. - “Armstead may not be attracted to the Panthers given the current state of the offense, but Carolina could provide an offer too good to ignore,” Treash writes. “Right tackle Taylor Moton was the team’s only offensive lineman to earn a pass-blocking grade above 65.0 in 2021. Carolina’s left tackle spot ranks second-worst in PFF grade since Matt Rhule arrived as head coach in 2020. If the Panthers — who owns just one top-100 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft — feel confident enough right now to select a quarterback at No. 6 overall, they will do whatever they can to find a new left tackle in free agency.” - PFF also forecasts quite a payday for the three-time Pro Bowler. The site projects Armstead, their No. 2 overall free agent, will land a three-year deal worth around $20 million per season. - Now, although that would be a fine signing for the Panthers, it still seems pretty improbable. Even despite having opened up some decent salary cap space recently, Darin Gantt of Panthers.com wrote that the team will likely use a cost-effective mindset and aim more towards the interior of the line. - “While Armstead is one of the top tackles in the game, he could also command $20 million a year on a long-term deal,” he noted on Friday. “That would chew up the bulk of the room created by a couple of restructured contracts over the last week. But the guard market is particularly deep, and full of players who would be of immediate help. [Brandon] Scherff played under the franchise tag in Washington the last two seasons, and will be looking for top-of-the-market money. And he’ll deserve it. There are plenty of options beyond him, though.” - As far as their options at left tackle, such an approach could see Brady Christensen slide over as the starter or the front office use the draft’s sixth overall pick on one of the class’ three top linemen. - - RelatedPFF tabs Panthers as best fit for Mississippi State OT Charles CrossMatt Rhule: Panthers 'maybe should've played' Brady Christensen more at LT - - List - - How the Panthers' potential 1st-round draft targets fared on Friday - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Email - - - - - Sign up - - - - - - - - Like this article? - Sign up for the Panthers Wire email newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning - - - - An error has occured - - - Please re-enter your email address. - - - - - - Thanks for signing up! - - - You'll now receive the top Panthers Wire stories each day directly in your inbox.

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