4 underachieving free agents the Panthers could gamble on
By Dean Jones
Ifeadi Odenigbo – DE
- 2020 team – Minnesota Vikings
There was a huge opportunity awaiting Ifeadi Odenigbo with the Minnesota Vikings in 2020. Stud defensive end Danielle Hunter was forced to miss the entirety of the campaign with a neck injury, but the former Northwestern star managed just 3.5 sacks in 15 games with more attention coming his way.
This was incredibly disappointing for the player and the Vikings, who now have a big decision to make regarding Odenigbo’s future. His physical attributes dictate that he should be able to dominate at will. However, if this season taught us anything about the edge rusher, it’s that he needs a premier option on the opposite side of the defensive line.
The Carolina Panthers could definitely offer that with Brian Burns, who stepped up his contribution an untold amount in his sophomore year to confirm his status as one of the NFL’s brightest young pass-rushers.
Whether Odenigbo wants to take his chances elsewhere considering how much Stephen Weatherly struggled once he decided to leave Minnesota is up for debate. And there appears little doubt Mike Zimmer will want him to stick around for one more season and hope he can turn things around.
There is every chance he can return to his 2019 form of seven sacks on a rotational role when Hunter comes back into the lineup. But there is some untapped potential here that Carolina should investigate further, at the very least.