Midway through the third quarter of Week 4 in Houston, after DJ Moore had picked up a first down on an out route, Taylor Moton remained on a knee as his teammates gathered around him – the Panthers stalwart right tackle was receiving medical attention and on the sidelines, coaches turned around to alert rookie Dennis Daley that he would be going in.
But Daley didn’t need to be told – he was already ready to be the next man up.
“My helmet was already on, I just clipped it up and walked out,” said Daley. “As soon as I saw him down, I just clipped it up and walked onto the field – that’s how ready I was.”
One play later, Moton – who had been poked in the eye – was back on the field. But Daley’s number seems as if it’s going to be called again this Sunday with both Trai Turner and Greg Little absent from practice this week – Daley will be ready to start on Sunday if needed, just like he was ready to run onto the field at a moment’s notice for Moton in Houston.
“Everybody here, we prepare like starters – so if my number gets called, I’ve got to be ready to step up. That’s the most important thing – I’m willing to step up,” said Daley. “Whether it’s just one play or ten plays, I’ve got to be the next man up and I’ve got to be ready when my numbers called.”
OL Greg Little leaving the game to be evaluated for a concussion in Week 3 of the preseason.
After starting their revamped offensive line, which featured a healthy Daryl Williams at left tackle and free agent acquisition Matt Paradis joining Greg Van Roten, Trai Turner and Taylor Moton for the first three games, the Panthers made a switch last week at Houston when they gave second-round pick Greg Little his first start at left tackle and moved Williams inside to right guard with Turner battling an injured ankle.
It would appear they’ll be making another change as they return home to face the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have the sixth-best sack rate (9.22%) in the NFL, in Week 5.
With Turner still ailing and Little back in the concussion protocol – he suffered a concussion in Week 3 of the preseason and was inactive for the first two weeks of the season and has not practiced this week – the Panthers are likely to turn to sixth-round pick Daley. They have a couple of options – they can either start Daley on the left side or move Daryl back over to left tackle and keep Daley on the inside, where things may move a little slower and the rookie may have a little bit of protection being surrounded by Paradis and Moton.
They could also kick Moton out to left tackle and insert Daley at either right tackle or right guard – there are multiple answers when so many of your players have position flexibility, something the team has long valued. Ron Rivera knows what his plan is with the offensive line – but he’s not sharing. When asked whether he had decided where Daley would fit in best, Rivera had an answer.
“Yes.”
One of the reasons the Panthers drafted Daley was because of his strong play against excellent pass rushers when he was at South Carolina, but he was inconsistent – that’s been something that offensive line coach John Matsko has been working on with Daley as they’ve cycled him into the lineup at multiple positions throughout training camp, the preseason and the first month of the year. At one point, he’s played every position on the offensive line but center, just like another guy with position flexibility on the offensive line – one that’s started at three different positions during his tenure here, including both left tackle and right guard this season.
“I told him last week that I kind of see himself in me when I was a rookie,” said Daryl Williams, who added that he felt good being back on the right side last week. “When I was a rookie, they were putting me all over the place and I ultimately ended up at right tackle, but with him, the sky’s the limit. His potential’s through the roof, he’s just got to tap into it.”
“And he will.”
With Williams being comfortable on the right side and the Panthers perhaps able to stack protections with tight ends, fullbacks and running backs to help Daley on the left side, that may be where he slots in on Sunday.
“To me, the guys that are here that are going to play, they’ve got to go play,” said Norv Turner. “And whomever is here that lines up, they’ve got to do their job. We are all aware of matchups and we’re going to try to create the best matchups for our guys. And if we feel that it’s an uncomfortable matchup for us, then we have to do something to adjust what we’re doing.”
But as Daley improves his consistency, he’s been vocalizing the mantra to himself that some of the veterans have been sharing with him as he gets used to playing offensive line in the NFL.
One snap and clear.
As in play this specific play – this one snap – and then move on. Whether or not you played your best and protected the quarterback – perhaps like Daley’s lone snap in Houston, where he helped to protect Kyle Allen against Angelo Blackson – or whether you got beat around the edge and allowed a sack fumble.
One snap. And clear.
“We all know what we signed up for when we play offensive line. Offensive line isn’t the best position to play, but it’s one of the most important positions, if not the most important position,” said Daley. “You have 99 good plays and the one bad play’s going to stick out more than the 99 good plays. That’s just what we signed up for – we’ve got a mentality here. One snap and clear – you mess up on that play, you’re onto the next play.”
“We don’t ever look back.”
They only look forward – and rely on their teammates to pick them up if something bad happens.
“He’ll be prepared,” said Greg Olsen. “Now he’s just got to go out and play. He’s young, he might have some plays here and there that don’t go great, but that’s on us to [help] – they don’t all go great for me, they don’t all go great for Christian. Everybody’s going to share in that and that’s the way it goes – we’ve got to make sure that we’re there to pick those young guys up.
Daley has been picking the brains of those around him, whether it’s Turner or Van Roten to learn how to play guard or Williams and Moton for tackle – he’s taking the best parts of each player and adding to his game. So that he can be the best player he can be – wherever and whenever they need him.
And this week, it would appear that they will need him.
“That’s why we prepare so hard,” said Daley. “The preparation for the week carries over to the game on Sunday, so that’s why we prepare like we prepare.”
“I’ll be ready.”
