5 Panthers offseason departures who’ll thrive elsewhere in 2021
By Dean Jones
Efe Obada – Former Carolina Panthers DL
There are few players operating in the NFL that have a more inspirational story than Efe Obada. The defensive lineman worked his way up from nothing after a troubled upbringing to make it all the way to the pros, something that broke boundaries and gives others from disadvantaged backgrounds plenty of hope they can one day follow in his footsteps.
Obada grew in stature with every passing year, producing some eye-catching pressure from the interior over the second half of 2020 that resulted in 5.5 sacks – a career-high for the Nigerian-born player.
The new regime within the Carolina Panthers has no room for sentiment. Those in power felt they could do better than Obada in free agency, acquiring three-technique Morgan Fox from the Los Angeles Rams instead.
This left Obada on the outside looking in and the Buffalo Bills took advantage of this by bringing him on board for the 2021 campaign.
A reunion with former Carolina defensive coordinator Sean McDermott is a tremendous situation for Obada to be walking into. He knows full well what’s expected from the coach and although there is plenty of competition for places, it would be a surprise if a prominent spot on the rotation wasn’t secured before Week 1.