After the turbulent 2023 season, Dan Morgan and the Carolina Panthers decided it was imperative to bolster their offensive line.
The Panthers added massive guards Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt early in the free agency process, which should keep second-year quarterback Bryce Young upright in 2024.
Pro Football Focus has published a list of the top 32 guards in the NFL. Hunt and Lewis were both on the list, demonstrating the calibre of Carolina’s offseason additions.
Pro Football Focus had the former Miami Dolphins guard ranked No. 10 in the league.
He was incredibly dependable in the 2023 campaign. The Panthers are hoping he can offer Charlotte the same set of qualities.
According to Thomas Valentine of Pro Football Focus, “he surrendered the lowest pressure rate (1.3%) and allowed just five pressures, the second-fewest of any guard in the NFL.” “A quarterback-friendly offence that relies on Tua Tagovailoa getting the ball out quickly helped to raise those stats, but Hunt still performed up to par.
“The Carolina Panthers awarded him a five-year, $100 million contract as compensation. Hunt will now guard Bryce Young for the next five years. He was sixth among guards in 2023 with an overall grade of 77.1.
The Panthers needed to keep Young from being sacked for the smaller signal caller to be effective. Hunt is a move in the right direction.
Lewis was ranked No. 29 by Pro Football Focus. He had a poor year in 2023 despite being a reliable pass blocker. That doesn’t represent his potential for the 2024 campaign.
“Lewis was a starter in his four years with the Seattle Seahawks, before earning a four-year, $53 million contract with the Carolina Panthers in the offseason,” writes Valentine.
“Lewis’ 2023 PFF overall score of 59.6 was the second lowest of his career, but during the last two seasons, he has earned a very solid 68.0 pass-blocking grade. Going forward, he’ll have to give it his all to keep Bryce Young safe in Carolina.”
It was imperative that the Panthers have offensive line play. For the time being, it seems that Carolina made the right call in signing Hunt and Lewis to massive deals. Once the football starts, Carolina will see if all that money pays off.
