Taylor Moton’s future still in question as Panthers start mandatory minicamp

Taylor Moton is in a unique spot with the Carolina Panthers.

On one hand, he is one of its greatest institutions, having started every game and played almost every snap of the last three seasons. In a new offensive line that only has two of last year’s starters — center Matt Paradis and guard John Miller — on contract, Moton’s dependable play and leadership are so important that, before he could become an unrestricted free agent, the Panthers placed the franchise tag on him, ensuring he returns for one last season and a $14 million payday.

“That’s a role I gotta walk into and accept,” Moton said about being a leader. “So far, just like everything else, along with being a better football player, leadership is something I take day-by-day.”

For both his importance to the squad and his tagged status, his teammates have even given him a new nickname.

“We call him ‘Franchise’ around here,” said Cameron Erving, one of the team’s new O-line signings, who won Super Bowl LIV with Kansas City.

But on the other hand, Moton is on the fringes of the team. By the time 2022 rolls around, the man they call “Franchise” may not be a Panther at all. While there remains a chance that a long-term deal is completed before the July 15 deadline, a source with knowledge of the situation said that is not currently the expectation.

It’s no secret that the offensive line has been one of the Panthers’ weaker units, with Moton being the silver lining of a cloudy group that gave up 36 sacks last season and ranked in the bottom half of the league overall, per Pro Football Focus.

Left tackle was one of those problem positions, with the Panthers signing Erving this offseason as a way to fill that hole. However, Erving hasn’t participated in most of the team’s workouts due to injury, and Moton could be one of the candidates to fill that role come training camp in July, but right tackle is where he’s most likely to be.

“If (Moton) ever feels really comfortable to do it, then we could consider doing it,” Panthers coach Matt Rhule said. “The difference between left tackle and right tackle, to me, in the NFL is not what it once was. A lot of great rushers are rushing from the right side. So, you know, he’s valuable where he’s at, so we’ll just kind of have to wait and see.”

Moton, however, was quick to note some of the differences between his current place on the right side and a spot on the left.

“I’m so used to, you know, going one way with my feet and my hips and my hands,” Moton said, “that it’s just not as comfortable, obviously, when you have to flip all that in your mind. It’s muscle memory. But it’s something that I have to get more comfortable with.

“It just takes more and more reps against, you know, NFL D-linemen and going out of my way to make sure I’m doing everything I can, so if I’m ever thrown in there, I’m as ready as I can be.”

No matter where he plays on the line, there is a more glaring issue — Moton’s contract. If he and the Panthers do not ink a long-term deal by July 15, then the lineman can walk away from Charlotte an unrestricted free agent at the end of this coming season.

“I’m here and I’m in the building right now,” said Moton on his willingness to play under the franchise tag. “Right now, I see no reason why not to.”

Rhule declined to get into the nuts and bolts of negotiations, saying he’s intentional about “not getting involved in that stuff,” but he did say how valuable Moton is to the team’s identity.

“Taylor’s a consummate pro,” Rhule said. “(He’s) everything we want in a player.”

Moton, for his part, opted to leave the discussion of contracts between himself and his agent.

“They got me what they wanted,” said Moton in reference to the franchise tag. “‘Franchise’ is definitely a nickname I have to get a little used to.”

With Moton’s experience and quality play on the line, he has the potential to become one of the highest-paid offensive linemen in the league. The Panthers better hope their star gets used to that new nickname before July 15.

Observer reporter Alaina Getzenberg contributed to this report.