CHARLOTTE – The Panthers took a big step on Tuesday to stabilize their offensive line.
The team has put the franchise label on Taylor Moton’s right suit and guaranteed he will be here for at least one more season.
The one-year deal guaranteed by the label will pay Moton between $ 13 million and $ 14 million, depending on the final salary limit (which has not yet been finalized). The limit drops from $ 198.2 million to about $ 180 million this year, sharpening matters in the NFL.
The team still hopes to sign him on a long-term deal, and can wait until July 15th.
The 26-year-old Moton has started every game in the last three seasons. Having him back was crucial as center Matt Paradis was the only starter under contract.
Moton, a second-round pick in the second round in 2017 from Western Michigan, played almost every turn (six shots in 2019, or 0.54 percent of the team’s total), and was only asked for one penalty last year.
The Panthers also brought back reserve striker Trent Scott, and Dennis Daley and Greg Little are under contract with last year’s practice squads, but they are obviously far from finished putting the line up.
But they took the biggest step to secure their best player.
Moton is the third attacking linebacker to sign the Panthers in franchise history, and both left-back Jordan Jordan and center Ryan Kalil have signed long-term deals with the team.