Monroe Freeling didn’t need long to learn how unforgiving NFL pass rush can look, even in a controlled setting.
During two separate OTAs sessions in June, the Panthers rookie offensive lineman got caught looking vulnerable on the edge. First, sophomore Nic Scourton beat the No. 19 overall draft pick by timing the quarterback count and exploding past him.
A few days later, sophomore Princely Umanmielen did the same thing. Both rushes came from the same spot: Freeling at left tackle, slow to get moving after the snap, and both times the rusher won the left shoulder and got to quarterback Bryce Young untouched.
Because the quarterbacks were in red jerseys and not live, Young stayed protected from the kind of blindside hit that would have ended both plays. But the message was obvious enough.
Panthers coach Dave Canales wasn’t sounding the alarm before mandatory minicamp wrapped up on June 11. He pointed instead to the rushers making the plays.
"First of all, give Nic and Princely their due," Canales said. "These are guys who are in their second offseason (OTAs) and two really talented players.
Which is exactly what we want. This is what we talk about.
"We make us."
Freeling was brought in because the Panthers needed help up front, and they didn’t hide that reality during the draft process. General manager Dan Morgan kept saying he would take the best player available, but the fit was plain to see.
Ikem Ekwonu is out at least through the first half of 2026 with a knee injury, and Taylor Moton is entering his age-31 season. That made the former Georgia tackle a logical addition on draft night.
The need looks even sharper now. On Tuesday, the Panthers announced Moton is still being treated for blood clots in the lungs, a situation that is expected to keep the nine-year veteran out for several weeks and could stretch into the regular season.
That opens the door for Freeling to get a real chance. After splitting time between left and right tackle during OTAs, he is likely to get the first crack at the starting job opposite free-agent veteran Rasheed Walker.
Training camp opened Wednesday for the Panthers and the Arizona Cardinals, who will meet in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 6. Carolina’s first practice is set for Thursday on the fields behind Bank of America Stadium, where Canales will get his first full look at the revamped offensive line.
And for Freeling, that’s exactly the kind of environment the coach wants.
"We make us right on the practice field, going 100 mph, challenging each other with different moves to expose things we need to work on and to hone our craft," Canales said. "That's exactly what Monroe needs right now ... going against guys like that. Going against Jaelan Phillips and going against Pat Jones, a veteran guy who has got all the moves and the setups.
"To face that every day, in this setting, is so good for him."
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Panthers Already Facing Doubts About Their Biggest Pass Rush Bet
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Phillips gave them a reason for optimism last season by staying on the field for all 17 games, but the longer view is what makes this move feel like such a gamble. Carolina is counting on a player with a complicated medical past to be a foundational piece of its defensive reset, and the early skepticism around that bet is hard to ignore when the whole plan hinges on him holding up and delivering where the Panthers were so short a year ago. [Read more 🡒]