For as much as things change in football, to Harold Goodwin, there is one outstanding truth.
“I believe any offensive line on any football team is the foundation to the team,” he said.
Goodwin was meeting with local media on Tuesday, his first time since being named the assistant head coach and run game coordinator for the Panthers. His declaration about the offensive line extended beyond just the running game though, but to what a football team can do as a whole.
Luckily for Goodwin, and the entire offense for that matter, the Panthers invested heavily (both literally and monetarily) this offseason, signing free agent guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis, then shifting Austin Corbett in to center to go along with tackles Ikem Ekwonu and Taylor Moton.While Goodwin and the rest of Dave Canales’ staff hasn’t been on the field with the players yet—that will come next week when voluntary veteran mini-camp begins—Goodwin has seen a group come together on paper that can be a game changer.
“I’m excited for the group. Obviously, you’ve got five guys that can play at a high level. The biggest thing, knock on wood, we’ve just got to stay healthy,” Goodwin said. “All of those guys are high quality players, Pro Bowl-level players, not to put pressure on any of them, but I expect big things from that group to help this team out.”
And if the offensive line is the foundation of any team, Goodwin is encouraged by what the Panthers have put together; “I feel like we’ve got a good start to a good foundation to the future.”
