Panthers right tackle Taylor Moton has three years of service time, which means he is eligible for an extension. He is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and Carolina would like to keep him off the open market next year.
Per David Newton of ESPN.com, the club and Moton’s camp are engaged in ongoing contract negotiations, but nothing is imminent at this time. Moton, a Western Michigan product, was selected by the Panthers in the second round of the 2017 draft.
He became a full-time starter in his sophomore campaign. He opened the 2018 season at left tackle in place of the injured Matt Kalil, but he quickly shifted over to right tackle after the Panthers signed Chris Clark to fill the LT spot. Moton has been the starting RT ever since.
He will celebrate his 26th birthday on Tuesday, and he has quietly established himself as a dependable force on the Panthers’ offensive front. Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics considered him a top-20 tackle in 2019, and PFF was especially fond of his pass-blocking abilities.
The rebuilding Panthers have seen a mass exodus of veteran talent this offseason, but Moton certainly qualifies as a foundational piece that could be part of the next competitive Carolina club. If player and team are able to come to terms at some point soon, it would not be surprising to see Moton land a deal similar to Ja’Wuan James‘ four-year, $51MM pact with the Broncos.
Nice building block to lock up. Unlike James, he actually has a history of staying on the field