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The Panthers ended the season on a win , which is always a nice feeling, but overall it was a year of high highs and low lows for the linemen on both sides of the football."ing PodcastPanthers 2019 NFL DraftCSR Film RoomThe Hog Molly Report: Season wrap upNew,95commentsThe Panthers ended the season on a win, which is always a nice feeling, but overall it was a year of high highs and low lows for the linemen on both sides of the football.ESTShareTweetShareShareThe Hog Molly Report: Season wrap upDerick E. Hingle-USA TODAY SportsWelcome ladies and gentlemen to the Hog Molly Report, where winning in the trenches is all that matters. Before we begin, we open with the reciting of our usual motto:In the spirit of Mr. Gettleman’s words (regardless of him having moved on) and the philosophy of building a team from the inside out, my goal will be to watch the hog mollies each game during the season and give them a grade based on their performance. This week we will look at the Carolina Panthers season as a whole from a lineman perspective and think about where this team needs to head in order to be more consistent in the future. The fortunes of the team definitely coincided with both the health of Cam Newton and the ability of his offensive line to keep him clean, and the lack of pressure from the defensive line on most occasions.Offensive Hog MolliesYards per Carry: 5.1 (1st, NFL)Yards per Play: 5.9 (8th, NFL)QB Hits: 77 (11th, NFL)Sacks allowed: 32 (T-6th, NFL)Third downs converted: 42% (9th, NFL)Scoring PPG: 23.5 (T-14th, NFL)Rating: 4 out of 5 Hog HarbingersThe Carolina Panthers offensive line started the season surprisingly strong, and were a lot of the reason the team wrapped up the first half of the year standing at 6-2. Then the Pittsburgh Steelers game happened, and suddenly things started falling apart. The team was able to consistently run the ball all year long, but the left side of the offensive line , especially whoever was playing left tackle, was a recurring problem like it has been for years now. If Matt Kalil, Chris Clark, or Marshall Newhouse line up as a starter at that spot next season, it is going to be more of the same. I still believe this team’s greatest need, despite the awful defensive numbers, is a quality left tackle. Too many things ride on it, highlighted by the health of our star quarterback’s throwing shoulder.Looking down the rest of the line, it was a pretty good year for everyone. Greg Van Roten, while certainly not producing like Andrew Norwell, had a mostly good year in his first season at left guard. Ryan Kalil closed out his career with a strong and healthy final season at center, and the right side of the line was fantastic when both Trai Turner and Taylor Moton were lined up together. Looking forward a pressing need will be figuring our who replaces Ryan Kalil at center. Tyler Larsen filled in for him admirably a season ago, but in his limited reps at guard this year did not look very good at all.With no other listed centers, competition is certainly going to be brought in, and there might be a draft pick at the position as well. Otherwise, it will be about finding depth along the line. I am not opposed to bringing Chris Clark back in a reserve role, and I think the team is hoping Brendan Mahon can recover from his injury and continue to build on his strong preseason last year. I believe that we have probably seen the last of Daryl Williams, as regardless of his pair of really bad injuries , someone is going to be willing to pay him more than we are, unless a secret plan is hatching to move Taylor Moton to left tackle and bring him back at right. I would be shocked to find that out, however.Defensive Hog MolliesYards per Carry: 4.7 (20th, NFL)Yards per Play: 6.0 (26th, NFL)Sacks given: 35 (27th, NFL)Third down allowed %: 40% (19th, NFL)Points per game: 23.9 (19th, NFL)Yards per game: 353.2 (15th, NFL)Rating: 2 out of 5 Pathetic PigsIt was a woefully bad season for the defense as a whole, and those problems definitely started up front with the defensive line. Outside of a couple randomly occurring great performances, the Panthers were not a unit to fear by anyone across the league, and certainly not by opposing quarterbacks, as there wasn’t a single game where their four man pressure did much of anything. They finished the season with a bottom five sack total, and their lack of effectiveness ballooned their yards per play average to near bottom five levels. They were the worst team in the league at allowing opponents to convert third down with more than six yards to gain, and that happens because of a lack of ability to pressure.Kawann Short had a good season, but not nearly what you’d expect from a guy getting paid like he is. Dontari Poe was an utter disappointment. Both of these guys will almost certainly start at defensive tackle again next year, and regardless of what I just said, that will probably be just okay. The main let down about Poe is that he has the ability to make some game changing plays at a position you don’t usually see them , and the fact is, we didn’t see any. He was just another capable space eater, which is fine, but not thrilling. Our rotational guys, Vernon Butler and Kyle Love, were actually pretty decent. Provided that Love doesn’t retire, I expect to see both next year. Vernon Butler is probably never going to live up to his draft billing, but he could end up being one of those guys who do a decent blue collar job at an NFL yeoman’s salary for us.Defensive End is the real problem, and the future there is not bright either. The team absolutely must invest high draft capital in the position, potentially with their first round pick. If a great option at left tackle isn’t available, I hope this team grabs the best pass rusher they can, we need it badly. Whether he wants to play again or not, Julius Peppers can’t be counted on for starter duty any longer. I believe that pairing Mario Addison with a premiere talent on the other side can be a good combination, but again, we’ll have to go out and acquire that talent. Depth wise, Wes Horton is fine there but Marquis Haynes, Efe Obada, and Bryan Cox jr. are all serious projects.Hog Molly of the Year: Taylor MotonTaylor Moton is an easy shoo in for this honor , as he was without a doubt our best overall lineman. He allowed an average of less than one pressure per game on the season (as did Trai Turner), and is one of the most exciting young prospects on the roster (at least to people like me, who can get excited by good blocking). People keep talking about moving him to the left side, but honestly, I would leave him right where he is so he can thrive. The Panthers today signed safety Eric Reid, ending what seemed to be an exile from the NFL precipitated by his decision to kneel during the national anthem. For Texans safety Justin Reid, that was great news.Justin is Eric’s little brother, and it was tough for him to watch his big brother waiting on the sideline.“It’s been a journey for him,” Justin Reid told the Houston Chronicle. “He’s been out of the league for a little while. He’s been up on his fitness. He’s been consistently getting prepared for when this opportunity did come. I know he had a chance to go to the Titans, but it didn’t work out. . . . It’s an awesome opportunity. The only way I would be personally happier is if he ended up on a team on our schedule, so I would get a chance to play against him. It’s super exciting for him. It’s cool.”The Texans chose Justin Reid out of Stanford in the third round of this year’s draft. Justin looked up to Eric both as the older brother who got to the NFL before him, and as the older brother who spoke up for what he believes in.“Immensely proud of what he’s done,” Justin Reid said. “Immensely proud of what all of the guys have done trying to have a voice for the voiceless. The Panthers just got a whole lot better. Their team just got better having him on their squad.”

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