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Panthers once again spending way more than any NFL team on offensive line

Carolina's front office is paying for an elite offensive line - but will they get it?
Tim Weaver|
Caption:Dec 8, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Carolina Panthers tight end Tommy Tremble (82) celebrates his touchdown catch with guard Robert Hunt (50) and offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu (79) during the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.
Caption:Dec 8, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Carolina Panthers tight end Tommy Tremble (82) celebrates his touchdown catch with guard Robert Hunt (50) and offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu (79) during the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

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Carolina Panthers

One thing Carolina Panthers fans don't have to worry about from this current regime is them getting cheap when it comes to the line of scrimmage. After re-signing center Austin Corbett, Carolina will be returning all five of their offensive line starters from last season, as well as all their key backups, including Brady Christensen and Cade Mays.

So, from left to right it will be Ickey Ekwonu, Damien Lewis, Corbett, Robert Hunt and Taylor Moton lining up in front of Bryce Young - at least to begin the 2025 season. This is a solid group but it didn't come cheap. According to Warren Sharp, the Panthers are once again spending more money than any NFL team on this unit - by a pretty wide margin, too.

There's nothing wrong with splurging on your offensive line - but the Panthers do have the right to demand elite results when they're paying for it. On that score, this group is not quite living up to expectations.

We consider this Panthers offensive line to be one of the league's top-10 units - and at season's end Pro Football Focus had them ranked 8th. Not all anaysts agree though - and some rankings have them significantly lower. For example, a recent list from Pro Football Network had them at 19 and gave the unit a C- grade for the year. Then again, that same ranking had the Eagles' front line ranked outside the top 10, so let's take that with a grain or two of salt.

However, some advanced stats also suggest that this is a far-from-elite unit up front. For one,ESPN's pass block win rate had Carolina ranked 30th in pass block win rate and 10th in run block win rate, although we've always found PBWR to be a bit perplexing compared to the eyeball test.

In any case, the Panthers are paying for what should be the best offensive line in the NFL, or at least top-five - and exactly nobody ranks them that high. That means this group has to step their game up a bit in order to live up to the investment the team has made in them.

Most of all, left tackle Ickey Ekwonu has to take another step forward after a promising progression in 2024. While it's fair to point out that even elite college linemen come in mostly unprepared for the pro game, Ekwonu is entering his fourth year and was a top-10 overall pick. It's time he started playing like it.

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Tim Weaver
TIM WEAVER

Tim Weaver has been writing about the NFL since the 2013 season for multiple teams and outlets, including USA Today and The Sporting News. He currently covers the Seattle Seahawks and Carolina Panthers for On SI.