We're ranked 21st in pass pro....

[Brooklyn Bully]

He would be a starter cause he's a our 3rd best offensive lineman and doesn't open up like a revolving door letting defenders get shots at our QB.

Fair. Just going off what someone on the medical team told me.

[rayzor]

not saying that bell should be starting at RT next year, but he played like a rookie OT. they usually suck the first year but then do markedly well in years following.

between him and a healthy and motivated otah (which reports coming out of charlotte seem to suggest is the reality) we should have decent competition. we should still look to improve at some point in the offseason or at least add someone in FA for competition. if we don't have what it takes there then draft someone the following year.

at RG...competition between hangman and schwartz should be enough. maybe add more competition there via FA as well.

here's a little perspective that may be missing in this discussion...

our pass protection numbers are going to look kind of poor just because we have a QB that can scramble. for some reason those guys get hit and sacked more.

looking at football outsiders in talking about sack rates...

It’s a little simplistic, but in timing the sacks, there’s a general rule that the quicker the sack, the more likely it was the fault of the offensive line, and the longer the sack, the more likely it was a coverage sack or otherwise a responsibility of the quarterback and the receivers.

.

.

.

Scrambling quarterbacks and inexperienced quarterbacks are the kings of the long sacks. Christian Ponder’s lack of pocket awareness was quite shocking. On a large number of dropbacks, Ponder would check what appeared to be his first read, then take off scrambling whether he needed to or not.

http://footballoutsiders.com/under-pressure/2012/under-pressure-violence-rams

that article has timed sacks and broken them down. i'll add in cam's and the league average

Rate of Sacks Under 2.5 Sec - 1.3% 1.8%

Rate of Sacks 2.5-2.9 Sec - 1.7% 2.2%

Rate of Sacks Over 3.0 Sec 3.5% 2.7%

Overall Sack Rate- 6.3%- 6.3%

so overall...the Oline did a good job of protecting him. they gave him a 3 seconds and were significantly better than the league average. his sack total being higher than the league average shouldn't be surprising because he is a scrambling QB and an inexperienced one.

here's a couple side notes i thought were interesting from that article:

At the other end of the spectrum, The Golden Calf of Bristol wasn’t doing the Broncos’ offensive linemen many favors. The Golden Calf of Bristol was the league’s worst at picking up long sacks. In more than 10 percent of his dropbacks, he was sacked three seconds or more after the snap. In watching lots of The Golden Calf of Bristol snaps this year (way too many, to be honest), the large amount of time it takes for him to go through his progressions is readily apparent. His tendency to try to scramble away from pressure also adds to his large number of long sacks. It’s hard to blame the Broncos’ lack of talent at receiver -- Kyle Orton’s long sack percentage was only 2.02 percent when he was in Denver.

Cam Newton’s legs usually serve him well, but last week, it couldn’t get him away from the Saints’ Cameron Jordan. Newton rolled out, scrambled around, but eventually was run down by Jordan 7.5 seconds after the snap. Jordan did horse collar him, and was flagged for it, so it wasn’t all bad for the Panthers.

[iamcline]

Otah will not be a Panther next season.

It would be incredibly bad business for the team to let Otah go when he is in the final year of his rookie contract. I wouldn't even be surprised to see him restructure his deal or sign a new one at lower cost to the team based on incentives.

Bottom line is I'm 100% sure the FO will let him at least play out this contract before moving on. Really nothing to lose.

[TANTRIC-NINJA]

Exactly...contract year..he plays at his previous pre-injury Pro-bowl caliber level and We have great depth with Bell and Geoff.

If the team can lure Carl Nicks and usr Whartons money they should do it! Weakens the Saints and makes the Panther line elite.

[DoWorkBson]

Well for starters, why would he be a starter? He hasn't been healthy in two seasons, he has shown very little drive to get out there, and we have very little to go off of as to how solid he really is. That said, the same staff member who told me Godfrey would miss the final two games told be Otah is done. So I'm using those words to base my opinion.

Godfrey not practicing at all and being listed as doubtful wasnt exactly inside info. All I've heard is Otah has been hard at work.

[Brooklyn Bully]

Godfrey not practicing at all and being listed as doubtful wasnt exactly inside info. All I've heard is Otah has been hard at work.

Who said anything about inside info? I said Godfrey was done for the year with two games left to go because that's what I was told. This same doctor said Otah won't be here. This isn't me saying I know these things for a fact. This is me saying what I heard from a horse's mouth.

[DoWorkBson]

I know but anyone could have told you that just by reading the injury report. that was my point. It doesn't give him credibility because he told you something anyone could have told you.

[DoWorkBson]

Also you did state it as fact lol

[raleigh-panther]

Well Uptown Bully is usually pretty credible around these parts.

I said last year that Otah's injury is not one he would come back from. I know more about knees than I want to know as I have the same meniscus problem and I am not as heavy, young or do the type of work he does and the outcome for someone who does what he does and is so young, well, it's not good.

We can talk about him staying and this and that but if he can't contribute, even as an occasional backup, took the loss, cut him and move on. No more Dan Morgans or Thomas Davis and this guy does not have these men's work ethic.

Who the Panthers draft in the 1st/2nd round will tell us all we need to know.

Gross isn't getting any younger either btw.

[GamecockSmitty4]

lol. Did I just see a poster defend Bell because of his youth when he/she is always on the side of Fua and McClain being busts?

[Brooklyn Bully]

I know but anyone could have told you that just by reading the injury report. that was my point. It doesn't give him credibility because he told you something anyone could have told you.

A team doctor is fairly credible. ;)

And I knew about Godfrey from him before the Interwerbz reported it. And no, I did not speak as fact, HE did. I just repeated what he said.

[DoWorkBson]

I wasn't questioning their credability just saying a team dr told you would have been enough. The part about godfrey didn't add much to the claim is all I was getting at. I hope he comes back but if youre right its not a big shock

[Woodie]

Well, if it is true that Otah is done because his knee is shot, then we can pretty much pencil in an OT as our #1 pick.

Bell was decent for an UDFA forced into playing time, but at no time did he demonstrate he will ever be anything more than a solid backup...which isn't a bad thing, just not what a team with playoff asperations should want as their starter going into the season.

[Woodie]

not saying that bell should be starting at RT next year, but he played like a rookie OT. they usually suck the first year but then do markedly well in years following.

between him and a healthy and motivated otah (which reports coming out of charlotte seem to suggest is the reality) we should have decent competition. we should still look to improve at some point in the offseason or at least add someone in FA for competition. if we don't have what it takes there then draft someone the following year.

at RG...competition between hangman and schwartz should be enough. maybe add more competition there via FA as well.

here's a little perspective that may be missing in this discussion...

our pass protection numbers are going to look kind of poor just because we have a QB that can scramble. for some reason those guys get hit and sacked more.

looking at football outsiders in talking about sack rates...

that article has timed sacks and broken them down. i'll add in cam's and the league average

Rate of Sacks Under 2.5 Sec - 1.3% 1.8%

Rate of Sacks 2.5-2.9 Sec - 1.7% 2.2%

Rate of Sacks Over 3.0 Sec 3.5% 2.7%

Overall Sack Rate- 6.3%- 6.3%

so overall...the Oline did a good job of protecting him. they gave him a 3 seconds and were significantly better than the league average. his sack total being higher than the league average shouldn't be surprising because he is a scrambling QB and an inexperienced one.

here's a couple side notes i thought were interesting from that article:

I think these stats are a bit misleading. Yes, a lot of the sacks Cam took were not super quick, but that was because he had the ability to extend plays and get away from the initial pressure. Whereas a less mobile QB would have been sacked a lot quicker much of the time. So while the OL did not give up a ton of quick sacks, they did give up a lot of quick pressure, which can have the same, or worse, effect than a sack.