The Panthers got their first look at what are likely to be the Week 1 starters on the offensive line against the Bills, but they also got an extended look at the depth behind that, and while a lot of the game didn’t exactly go to plan, there were actually some genuine positives from the second string offensive line. As the Panthers found out the hard way last year, you’re only as good as your weakest second-string offensive linemen, so the Panthers have taken an extended look at this unit – however, they likely wouldn’t be the second string if there weren’t also some things for them to work on, so what did the non-starting offensive linemen show against the Bills, both for good and for bad?
Brandon Greene, RT (#75)
Brandon Greene played the least of the second string offensive linemen, as he left the game due to an injury after only a few series, but he did see some relevant snaps in the passing game in particular. While he isn’t the most technically proficient player, he is at least effective in pass protection at times:
Ultimately, the Bills game did show some of his more fundamental physical limitations, as he simply doesn’t have the foot speed to cover around the edge on the following play:
From a technical point of view, however, there are still some ways in which he could improve, the most significant of which is his hand usage. In general, he really struggles keeping his elbows inside his frame, meaning that his chest is left exposed – which makes him susceptible to being bull-rushed:
As well as to more finesse moves based off of this inefficiency:
It also means that when defenders look to sidestep him, he is only really able to react with one hand, meaning that he is easier to evade and risks getting called for holds as he reaches for defenders going past him:
And even when he manages to stay in front of defenders, he is largely unable to control the block, meaning they are able to release easily if the quarterback moves from his spot:
Conversely, defenders who are looking to pin him on stunts were able to do so, as an exposed frame made it easier for them to strike and hold on as the interior defender looped around:
Greene didn’t have a catastrophic game against the Bills, but their edge rushers did show both his limited athleticism and some gaps in his technique. The hand positioning during his slide should be fixable, but often this is a symptom of underlying issues with balance during the slide and might not be as easy to fix as it might seem. Greene is right on the fringes of the roster and his injury could well lead to others getting a shot at the backup right tackle role against the Patriots, but there are only so many quality tackles in the NFL, so I wouldn’t hold your breath if you’re expecting an elite tackle to walk in off the street to take his backup role.
Up Next: Is Taylor Hearn Ready To Be Trai Turner’s Primary Backup?
