4 moves the Carolina Panthers should have made sooner
By Dean Jones
Giving Dennis Daley more game time
Dennis Daley has been conspicuous by his absence this season. The offensive lineman was projected to start at guard for the Carolina Panthers before competitive action got underway, but he didn’t take the field until Week 7 at the New Orleans Saints due to injury.
Daley did perform well on his first start before moving back to the bench, which seemed like a strange decision at the time given how much Chris Reed was struggling at left guard. However, his commanding performance in their win over the Lions will surely come with a start next weekend and possibly beyond, which is long overdue.
The former sixth-round pick has yet to give up a sack from 135 snaps this season on his way to an encouraging 64.7 grade from Pro Football Focus. This is a streak contrast from Daley’s struggles as a rookie where he gave up eight sacks after being thrown to the wolves by the previous regime when he simply wasn’t ready.
It doesn’t appear as if Reed has any sort of long-term future in Carolina. And, in truth, dropping him in favor of Daley should’ve happened a while ago.
Much will depend on whether Russell Okung comes back. But even if he is able to go between now and the end of the campaign, Daley has shown more than enough to be given another prolonged shot at righting some wrongs from his first season at the next level.