Matt Paradis, C
Before the post-draft signing of Gerald McCoy, Matt Paradis was the bumper signing of the offseason – while there doesn’t seem to be a huge amount of chatter about him going into the preseason, he showed exactly why the Panthers signed him against the Bills, as well as some areas where he could be better. Against the run, he was particularly effective when asked to pull into space – something the Panthers have historically done a lot – as can be seen on the following plays, where he not only shows the foot speed to get out in front of the ballcarrier, but also the control to make the block at speed (he wears #61):
However, he did seem a step slow when asked to kick up to the second level at times:
And his tendency to lean forward into blocks at the line at times hasn’t gone away over the offseason:
As a run blocker, Paradis is undoubtedly more suited to a zone scheme where his control and movement are prioritized, and that should be the case in the Panthers’ 2019 offense, but there are going to be times when they look to run more conventional power runs, and in these situations, he may need to do a better job of keeping his weight over his feet.
As a pass protector, he was technically excellent, showing great balance and foot speed while using his hands well to keep defenders away from his frame:
And he even flashes some ability to be a real factor on screens on the following play, where he does a good job initially of preventing early pressure before using his excellent hand placement and balance to release from the block and attack the outside space:
There was one play where there appeared to be something of a miscommunication between he and Turner about whether they were going to continue to double the tackle, leading to the tackle being able to spin out of the block:
But this was less a technical issue and more something that should improve the more they play together. All in all, Paradis was really quite good against the Bills, and while there are some ways in which he could stand to improve, he looks to have fully healed from his injury and be back to playing at his pre-injury level.
Up Next: GVR
