Bill Voth: Taylor Moton Speaks

[bobsfoodbasics]

http://www.panthers.com/news/article-2/Whiz-kid-Taylor-Moton-hoping-to-pass-left-guard-test/978c1ef3-b9a5-4784-9304-17bb97d040dd

CHARLOTTE — Because they’re behemoths who usually don’t say much, offensive linemen get a bum rap. But they can be some of the smartest guys in the room. 

Take Taylor Moton, for example. 

Before he became a 2017 second-round pick, the 6-foot-5, 325-pounder had already earned a degree in accounting at Western Michigan and had started working toward a master's in business.

Smarts like those can be a big help in Moton's chosen profession. They’re especially handy for his current role, which he described as “just bouncing around, for the most part.” 

“You've got to learn how to understand concepts,” Moton continued. “You have to memorize certain looks, but if you understand the concept of what the whole offensive line's doing, it makes it easier for me to just plug in wherever I'm going. I just know the more you can do in this profession, especially on the offensive line, the better.”

When Jacksonville made Andrew Norwell the league’s highest-paid guard, many assumed Moton would just slide into the vacancy. That wasn’t the Panthers’ plan, though. They targeted a number of interior linemen in the draft who could fill their “question mark at left guard.” If they had landed one, Moton most likely would have stayed at swing tackle in 2018. But since the board didn’t fall the Panthers' way, Moton has a golden opportunity to take over Norwell’s spot. 

“It is different playing guard, for sure,” Moton said. “I know I've had more experience playing tackle, especially playing mostly tackle last year. But I don't like to think I'm naturally better at one or the other. I think naturally I'm just an offensive lineman. 

“Through this whole offseason I've been doing so much of both, I feel like I can do either one. I think the OTA practices coming up will be good for me getting to go against some of the best defensive tackles in the league.”

And that’s really the point of a lot of this. Veteran Amini Silatolu may be getting the bulk of first-team left guard reps, but the position battle is far from over. You can almost say it hasn’t even begun. We’ll learn a little more when the offense and defense finally get to line up against each other beginning next week and continuing through mandatory veteran minicamp in mid-June. But it’s still nearly impossible to judge linemen until they put pads on, and that won’t happen until training camp. 

So for now, Moton will continue to put his off-the-field education on hold because there's more pressing business to tend to. 

“I think at some point down the line I want to get a master's. May work toward a CPA,” he said. “I haven't really given it much thought cause really all I've been thinking about is doing what I can to be successful in football.

“(The left guard opening) is definitely an opportunity for me. That's why I'm doing everything I can to give myself the best shot.”

[SOJA]

This lends credence to my theory that Moton will be our stopgap at LG this year, but will move to RT next season when Williams makes way too much money next offseason. 

G and C will be giant priorities next offseason, one will likely be our 1st pick unless a stud LT is sitting there 

[LinvilleGorge]

If we let Williams walk that’s some bullshit. We’ve had trash at OT for years. Now we finally have an All-Pro. Can’t let him walk.

[PanthersBigD]

No reason to think we'll let Williams walk. Barring some kind of miraculous 180, the Matt Kalil experiment will be over after this year and we can spend the money on actual good linemen like Williams. 

[Ricky Spanish]

Next year we will have TD, Pep, and R. Kalil's contracts off the books when they retire.

We also have the potential to move M. Kalil off the books with little penalty as well. 

If that's the case then we'll have more than enough to lock up Williams long term, or potentially place a 1st round tender on him if that's allowed, and it will allow Moton to slide into LT. 

The only other contract we have to worry about next year is Funchess if he balls out. 

Either way, I'm not worried. 

[rmoneyg35]

I wonder if we plan on making him an LT? Since we have Williams at RT I don’t see us moving him to RT. Sure Williams could leave but you don’t let top tackles leave your team.

 

I do believe Moton will be a starting guard this year and who knows maybe he will end up being a guard for the rest of his career?

 

maybe he fails at tackle or maybe Kalil ends up playing well and stays along with Williams and Moton stays at guard.

 

the only issue I have is I wonder if him playing Guard will hurt his development at tackle?

[mc52beast]

Tepper says no worries...

He gotz money

[bLACKpANTHER]

Is Williams really a All-Pro RT?

I dunno bout that - but haven't even been able to study O-linemen like some people on here can. Unless they jump off the screen like Norwell or Turner pancaking a D-lineman and then moving to the secondary and erasing a LB - I just assume they are decent.

[MHS831]

I am so sick of seeing  Silatolu's name as the starter---he has done nothing but suck  his entire career--and only 1 person (the one that matters, I suppose) keeps pulling him back into the fold.

To Ron: There is nothing there, Ron.  I am not sure what it is you do well besides let Cam carry your ass, but do that thing instead of evaluating OL talent.  You can't do it. 

[MHS831]

9 minutes ago, bLACKpANTHER said:

Is Williams really a All-Pro RT?

I dunno bout that - but haven't even been able to study O-linemen like some people on here can. Unless they jump off the screen like Norwell or Turner pancaking a D-lineman and then moving to the secondary and erasing a LB - I just assume they are decent.

I would say he played at a top 5 level last year.  Pretty strong.

[Lumps]

Norwell, the highest paid guard in the league who sat behind Rivera’s boner named Amini until an injury forced him in....only after trying out bell, chandler etc.

ughh some desperate help needs to be had coaching and evaluating this o line. I think there’s a big issue there, not just talent.

[Toker Smurf]

1 hour ago, LinvilleGorge said:

If we let Williams walk that’s some bullshit. We’ve had trash at OT for years. Now we finally have an All-Pro. Can’t let him walk.

Here's a thought. If M Kalil is markedly better this season, do you then keep him? My gut says Hurney would but he's been pretty bad for a few years now and I don't think I'd trust him just because he does well in a (pseudo) contract year.

[rhyslloyd]

At what point does Matsko step in and tell Ron what an idiot he is?  Or is Matsko the idiot?  

[TheSpecialJuan]

1 hour ago, SOJA said:

This lends credence to my theory that Moton will be our stopgap at LG this year, but will move to RT next season when Williams makes way too much money next offseason. 

G and C will be giant priorities next offseason, one will likely be our 1st pick unless a stud LT is sitting there 

More like Matt Kaili replacement when we cut him next offseason.