5 Panthers players running out of time to earn new deals
By Dean Jones
Efe Obada – Carolina Panthers DL
Efe Obada has come on leaps and bounds this season after it looked at one stage as if his time with the Carolina Panthers might be done. The defensive lineman has fought tooth and nail to carve out a role for himself as the season’s gone on and this hasn’t gone unnoticed by a coaching staff that clearly thinks the world of him.
Obada is not only providing the Panthers with his usual exceptional commitment and determination. But his playmaking improvement has really caught the eye and been a considerable asset to call upon.
Whether this will be enough for Obada to get a new deal remains to be seen. There is a lot to like about his attitude and every team needs guys like the Nigerian-born player around the organization.
It would be a surprise if the Panthers addressed the defensive tackle position to get a long-term partner for Derrick Brown who can play the three-technique. Obada has done well rushing from the interior in certain situations in 2020 and he might feel hard done by if the front office opts to go in a different direction.
However, the NFL is a cutthroat business. So Obada must leave no doubt with a dominant end to the campaign with plenty of reps set to come his way.