Cam Newton and Panthers' Success Hinges on O-Line, Not Banged-Up WRs
The Carolina Panthers' season didn't come to a premature end when talented wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin crumbled to the ground during training camp with a season-ending knee injury.
The beat goes on. Cam Newton will throw to other targets, but the quarterback must remain upright to do that.
So while Benjamin's absence is merely a speed bump, the Panthers offensive line could prove to be a road block for the team to return to the playoffs.
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A year-and-a-half ago, Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman faced a dilemma. A salary-cap purge and a couple of retirements depleted the wide receiver and offensive tackle positions. Stalwarts Steve Smith Sr. and Jordan Gross wouldn't lead the team onto the field last fall for the first time since 2003.
Replacing each of them was a tall task.
While offensive tackle—particularly left tackle—is considered a core building block of any franchise, Gettleman concentrated on addressing wide receiver due to the team's draft status the past two seasons and the caliber of players available to it through multiple avenues.
Benjamin's selection with the 28th overall pick in the 2014 draft proved to be very successful. The rookie came into the league and immediately provided an impact with 73 receptions for 1,008 yards and nine touchdowns.
Left tackle, however, remained a glaring problem.
Last season, the organization attempted to develop Byron Bell as its blindside protector. Bell fell far short of expectations and finished his lone season at left tackle ranked 83rd out of 84 offensive tackles graded by Pro Football Focus.
The organization didn't re-sign Bell after the season and instead chose to pursue Michael Oher in free agency. Oher eventually signed a two-year, $7 million contract with the Panthers to man Newton's blind side.
Shortly after his signing, Gettleman confirmed Oher would play left tackle in Carolina.
Concerns immediately stemmed from the fact Oher hasn't played well when placed on the left side during his NFL career. Despite being the inspiration for the book and film The Blind Side, the Memphis, Tennessee, native has played at a much higher level on the strong side since entering the league.
Oher has plenty of experience at the position, starting 37 games at left tackle since the Baltimore Ravens selected him in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft. Pro Football Focus graded the Ole Miss product poorly during that stretch with a total of minus-25.9 overall. Oher also hasn't started a game at left tackle since the 2012 season.
The Ravens provided multiple opportunities for him to claim their left tackle spot, and he never rose to the occasion.
During his lone season with the Tennessee Titans in 2014, Oher started 11 games at right tackle, dealt with injuries and performed horribly. In fact, Pro Football Focus graded him only seven spots higher than Bell, whom he is set to replace.
It's a troubling position to be in for Newton. Despite his awesome athletic ability, opposing defenses have sacked Carolina's quarterback 81 times over the last two seasons. Only the Miami Dolphins' Ryan Tannehill, San Francisco 49ers' Colin Kaepernick, Kansas City Chiefs' Alex Smith and Seattle Seahawks' Russell Wilson were brought to the ground more often.
Even with these warning signs to not rely too heavily on Oher as the team's starting left tackle, the Panthers coaching staff appears to be quite happy with his early performance.
"I love the guy," offensive line coach John Matsko said last week, per Panthers.com's Max Henson. "He knows I care about him. I deeply care about him. He responds to coaching."
Matsko originally coached Oher in Baltimore when he was a part of the Ravens staff. However, the coach knows full well that his veteran tackle has plenty to prove this season.
"My responsibility is to take my players where they can’t take themselves," Matsko said. "I take that as a challenge. Our standards are extremely high. We want to be the best in the world."
So far, so good. Through two preseason games, Oher carries the second-highest grade from Pro Football Focus of any offensive player wearing the black and powder blue.
Who currently sports the highest mark on Carolina's offense? Rookie offensive tackle Daryl Williams.
If Oher falters and reverts back to the player who originally couldn't handle left tackle responsibilities, Williams should be ready.
"We've started looking at him at left tackle more," head coach Ron Rivera said, per Panthers.com's Bryan Strickland. "He's done some nice things at right tackle, and then last week he looked good in those one-on-ones [in joint practices versus the Miami Dolphins]. That brought on the realization that he's capable of playing up to that level, and that kind of sparked him."
The organization wasn't in position to select a left tackle during the first round this year, and the team decided to pass on Oregon's Jake Fisher in the second round before Gettleman finally traded up to select Williams in the fourth round with the 102nd overall pick.
The Oklahoma product has potential, but he only started one game at left tackle during his career with the Sooners.
"He's getting it," Matsko said. "He understands it. You have to be exact and precise in pass protection in this league. He's really done a fabulous job of improving his footwork and his hand placement."
Left tackle remains far from settled, and it's not the team's only issue along the offensive line.
Center Ryan Kalil anchors the entire offense. The four-time Pro Bowl selection hasn't missed a game since 2012, but he might not be on the field for the start of the upcoming season.
Kalil suffered a sprained left knee Saturday against the Miami Dolphins. Rivera said Monday the center won't play in the final two preseason games, and Kalil could be ready to go by the season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars on September 13.
"He’s very valuable to us obviously, so we are going to approach this cautiously," Rivera said, per Henson. "We’ll be smart. The whole idea being what we want to do once we get to Jacksonville."
However, Kalil isn't guaranteed to be in the lineup at the start of the regular season. As a result, the team's starting right tackle, Mike Remmers, began receiving reps at center Monday with the first-team offense, according to ESPN.com's David Newton.
Remmers solidified the offensive line during last year's playoff run when the coaching staff finally inserted him at right tackle for the final five games of the season.
The Oregon State product played very well on the strong side and seemed to have sewn up the position, but Kalil's injury created more uncertainty.
With Remmers moving inside, Williams will gain valuable first-team reps at right tackle and then move to left tackle with the second team. Plus, Nate Chandler, who started last year atop the team's depth chart at right tackle, continues to deal with a sore knee, per Newton.
An offensive line in flux two weeks prior to the start of the regular season rarely proves to be a good sign for a team. But if the group can come together, Cam Newton can still rely on certain weapons within the offense to move the ball.
And while Benjamin's injury hurts the team's overall explosiveness, veteran tight end Greg Olsen serves as the quarterback's security blanket.
Olsen set career highs last season with 84 receptions (which led the team) for 1,008 yards. In fact, Newton targeted his tight end 123 times in 2014. Due to his standout performance, Olsen was named to his first Pro Bowl.
The 30-year-old tight end often lines up in the slot and remains the team's most reliable target.
"Every time he lines up, the defense has to know where he is," offensive coordinator Mike Shula told ESPN's Newton. "If they account for him with one guy, then we’ve got to take advantage of that. If they account for him with two guys, obviously that’s going to give other guys opportunities."
Someone, though, needs to pick up some of slack left by Benjamin. Another 6'5" target is ready for the opportunity.
Gettleman also traded up to acquire Michigan's Devin Funchess with the 41st pick in this year's draft. Funchess was supposed to pair with Benjamin to form a set of twin towers at wide receiver for the erratic Newton.
Instead, Funchess is in the same position Benjamin was a year ago. The team will now ask the rookie to become the focal point of the passing attack.
Funchess knew the expectations placed upon him as soon as his fellow receiver suffered the knee injury and was taken off the practice field.
"It was always my expectation for it to be a big year," Funchess said, per the Charlotte Observer's Joseph Person. "It just so happened it occurred [when Benjamin was injured]. I guess everybody expects more out of my play."
The organization also signed Jarrett Boykin and Ted Ginn in free agency. Plus, last year's third- and fourth-leading receivers, Jerricho Cotchery and Corey Brown, return.
Carolina's wide receiver corps is deeper, faster and more athletic overall than it was a year ago.
Weapons are available to Newton. A steady foundation up front is not. Any success the Panthers experience during the upcoming season will rest on the unsettled offensive line.
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