Dave Canales isn’t tipping his hand on how the Carolina Panthers will handle rookie Monroe Freeling, and after the way the offensive line looked in Week 6, it’s easy to see why.
Carolina beat the Philadelphia Eagles to move to 3-2 and extend its winning streak to two games, following the Week 4 win over the Detroit Lions and the bye week. The Panthers’ offense has been rolling through the first five games, with Bryce Young showing clear progress and a supporting cast that includes Jalen Coker, Tetairoa McMillan and Chuba Hubbard helping push the unit forward.
The line got a major boost this week, too. Right tackle Taylor Moton was back for his first game of the season after missing training camp because of an injury, and he looked like himself in his return.
On the opposite side, free-agent addition Rasheed Walker drew praise as well. Carolina also still has Ikem Ekwonu working back from the injury he suffered last year, giving the staff multiple moving pieces to sort through.
That leaves Freeling in an uncertain spot. He started at right tackle to open the season and wasn’t overwhelmed, but the rookie had the usual ups and downs that come with that jump.
The Panthers made him a first-round pick, so there’s obvious value in getting him on the field. There’s also a case for letting him step back, get healthy and keep developing before forcing the issue.
Canales addressed that balance after the win over the Eagles and made it clear the team won’t rush to lock itself into one plan. He said Freeling matters to the Panthers, but also noted the injury situation and the need to roll with the healthiest options available up front. He also pointed out that Moton looked like his normal self and that Walker impressed.
“This is a first-round pick for us. This is a high-value player for us.
We're gonna do what's best for the Panthers-and we're gonna put the best group, healthiest group out there. So that's a good challenge to Monroe-to see how he responds to the training, the treatment and to see if he shows us how ready he is to play and how we play him.”
For now, the first task for Freeling is getting healthy. After that, the Panthers can decide where he fits best. With the offensive line shaping up as a major factor in how far this team can go, getting the call right on Freeling could matter a lot over the rest of the season.
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