Offseason moves create options on the offensive line

Having a rookie tackle switch sides is a familiar refrain for longtime Panthers fans, and one general manager Dan Morgan’s familiar with from his playing days. In 2003, first-round pick Jordan Gross played his first season on the right, since they had still-capable left tackle Todd Steussie on the other side. Gross, as you may recall, settled in to have a Hall of Honor career at left tackle after they went to the Super Bowl his rookie year.

The game has obviously changed since the early 2000s, and playing on the right isn’t necessarily easier than playing on the left, but it doesn’t carry the same perceived pressure as protecting the quarterback’s blind side.

The Panthers also made moves this offseason beyond those two, bringing in veteran backup tackle Stone Forsythe and bringing back versatile lineman Brady Christensen (who was a college left tackle who has started at all five positions in the NFL).

Again, none of this makes it better that Ekwonu and Moton aren’t on the field yet and won’t be when the regular season starts, though the expectation is that both will be at some point this season.

That absence would be devastating for most teams. But Morgan’s emphasis on keeping his lines strong since he’s been here has given them a chance to make it work until Moton and Ekwonu return.