What a Taylor Moton Contract Extension Could Look Like vs a Franchise Tag
Carolina's offensive line in 2020 was certainly not a strength as the unit allowed an average of 2.2 sacks per game. However, the one bright spot on the offensive line, right tackle Taylor Moton, is now a free agent.
In his four years with the Panthers, Moton developed into one of the most dominant and reliable right tackles in all of football. For the Panthers to have success in their rebuild, it all starts with having dominant players in the trenches. Unfortunately, Carolina doesn't have all that much money to spend ($18.3 million).
According to Spotrac.com, a franchise tag for Moton is projected to be somewhere near $13.6 million. Tagging Moton is certainly an option, especially if the two sides can't agree to a deal. Carolina cannot afford to lose a talent like Moton and if this is the Panthers' only option, they need to do it and work on a long-term extension throughout the next year. The Panthers have between February 23rd and March 9th to place a franchise tag on Moton or any other player they so choose.
The best-case scenario would be for the Panthers to get Moton locked up to a multi-year deal, which would give the organization a great piece to build around on the offensive line. Something in the neighborhood of a four-year, $52-55 million deal should be feasible for both sides. With that said, if Moton demands more than $13-14 million per year, the franchise tag comes right back into play. The Panthers have well over $130 million in cap space for 2021 which would increase the likelihood of a long-term deal coming to fruition.
A couple of ways Carolina could create some wiggle room to offer Moton a more lucrative deal is to either reconstruct DT Kawann Short's contract again or cut him after June 1st. The Panthers could cut ties with Short prior to June 1st but if they wait until that date passes, they will save roughly $13 million.
There's no question that new Panthers GM Scott Fitterer and salary cap manager Samir Suleiman will have their work cut out for them this offseason.
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