5 Carolina Panthers players with feast or famine prospects in 2021
By Dean Jones
Jermaine Carter – Carolina Panthers OLB
Hopes are extremely high for Jermaine Carter this season. His level of production when installed into the starting lineup during the previous campaign was a breath of fresh air within a linebacking corps that sorely missed the presence of Luke Kuechly operating on the interior.
Carter and Matt Rhule didn’t get off to the best of starts. Although even the head coach recognized he had far too much talent to be released entirely.
Patching things up with Rhule and forcing his way back onto the rotation was objective No. 1 for Carter. How he performs in 2021 will ultimately determine his long-term future with the Carolina Panthers.
The former fifth-round pick is heading into the final year of his deal. So there is plenty at stake where Carter is concerned.
He should be a starter at his preferred position of outside linebacker following the arrival of Denzel Perryman in free agency from the Los Angeles Chargers, which could be one of the best moves Carolina’s made this spring if there are no further complications on the injury front.
What comes next will be down to Carter. He has yet to start a full season – so it’s going to be interesting to see how he copes with prominent reps over a grueling 17-game campaign.