4 Panthers players who could be potential scapegoats in 2021
By Dean Jones
Pat Elflein – Carolina Panthers OL
There were more than a few eyebrows raised when the Carolina Panthers announced the signing of Pat Elflein. The offensive lineman has struggled in the last few seasons with the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings, so it remains to be seen whether he can turn things around if given the opportunity under Matt Rhule.
Elflein does have the versatility Carolina obviously loves in their new recruits. He can play either at guard or center, meaning he could potentially slot in and fill interior positions in the event someone gets injured providing he doesn’t start from the word go.
A veteran like Elflein won’t want to get beaten out by young rookies. But he’ll need an extremely strong training camp and preseason to make sure he’s in the lineup Week 1 against his former team.
If the former Ohio State star is manning one spot on the offensive line and the unit overall struggles to make the necessary improvements, it won’t take long for the finger of blame to point in his direction.
Giving Elflein a three-year, $13.5 million deal with a $1.1 million signing bonus and $6.6 million guaranteed might indicate that the Panthers are willing to give him one more chance at proving he is a viable NFL starter.
However, to say the jury is still on Elflein would be understating things slightly.