Ratings for the Panthers offense at the bye, per Pro Football Focus

Dec 5, 2022 - 1:00 PM

The Panthers are coming off a bye week sitting with a 4-8 record. With well over half the season now in the books, this is a good time to take a step back and see how each player is performing. While there’s no perfect way to grade performance, like it or not, but PFF is the methodology used by most fans. With free, public information available at PFF’s Panthers site, here’s how each of Carolina’s offensive players are faring thus far (min. 25% defensive snaps played):

The MVPs

In a twist nobody would have predicted before the season started, running back D’Onta Foreman has the offense’s highest PFF rating at 75.5, good enough for 21st among all running backs. Foreman has been a more than serviceable fill-in for Christian McCaffrey. He has gone over 100 rushing yards in four of his last six games.

And let’s give a shoutout to guard Austin Corbett whose 73.3 grade ranks 12th at his position. Carolina had high hopes for him when they signed him to a 3-year, $26,250,000 contract this past offseason and thus far he’s living up to the hype.

The LVPs

Oh, Shi Smith, bless your heart. The second-year receiver’s 46.5 grade ranks dead last among 121 receivers in the league.

Second-year tight end Tommy Tremble’s 47.3 grade is second lowest on the team and ranks just 68th of 71 tight ends. I like Tremble’s effort - I really do - but the Panthers never should have invested the No. 83 overall pick in a blocking tight end, a skill set that can be addressed with undrafted free agents. Tremble has 11 receptions on 21 targets this year.

The pleasant surprise

Panthers fans can all give a collective sigh of relief when seeing Terrace Marshall Jr’s 72.2 grade. The 2021 second round pick had a disastrous rookie campaign last season but has rebounded well this year. In nine games he has 18 reception for 328 yards. His 18.2 yards per reception demonstrates his big-play abilities.

The criminally underrated

Criticizing PFF grades is easy to do, but I’ll do it anyway. While Taylor Moton might not be a Pro Bowler, he should clearly be ranked much higher than 41st of 76 tackles. He’s a solid, steady, effective lineman who gets the job done week-in and week-out. My subjective, admittedly biased opinion is he’s probably more like the 25th best tackle in the NFL, but that’s just my view. I’ll take Taylor Moton on my team any day.