5 departures the Carolina Panthers will miss the most in 2021
By Jason Huber
Russell Okung – Former Carolina Panthers OT
- Released and not yet signed with another team
Russell Okung was brought to the Carolina Panthers before last season in a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers for guard Trai Turner.
Despite having some health scares the year prior, Okung was a two-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion that was expected to hopefully solidify a left tackle position that has been a revolving door for years.
Unfortunately, injuries continued to cause Okung issues when he arrived in Carolina. He started just seven games while dealing with a lingering calf issue.
The thing that the Panthers might miss the most from Okung is his leadership.
His best years are likely behind him but if they decided to keep Okung around for one more year, he could have at least provided depth and a veteran presence to a left tackle spot that wasn’t greatly addressed this offseason.
Carolina drafted Brady Christensen who they hope can eventually fill that problem position, but it more likely than not that it won’t happen in year one. They also signed Cam Erving, who has been a career journeyman and has dealt with a multitude of injuries himself.
Re-signing Okung to a cheap deal might not have been a bad idea and it’ll be interesting to see if his loss affects the offensive line from a leadership standpoint.