3 winners and 3 losers from the Carolina Panthers 2021 offseason
By Dean Jones
Greg Little – Former Carolina Panthers OT
This offseason was the last chance saloon for Greg Little. The Carolina Panthers had some real concerns about their offensive line, so the former second-round pick had one final shot to prove he could play some sort of meaningful role in 2021 and possibly beyond.
Sadly, this didn’t turn out to be the case.
Little was rarely involved with the first-team unit and obviously didn’t do enough to convince the coaching staff he could turn things around after extended reps at the Indianapolis Colts during their first warmup game.
The Ole Miss product was swiftly traded to the Miami Dolphins for nothing more than a seventh-round pick, officially ending Little’s time in Carolina and ensuring he’ll go down as one of the team’s biggest-ever draft busts.
It’s bad enough the Panthers – and general manager Marty Hurney in particular – selected Little in the first place. But to trade up and acquire him was absolutely unbelievable.
Matt Rhule clearly wasn’t the biggest fan of Little. But the simple fact of the matter is the player’s production wasn’t up to the required standard.
Carolina came to the conclusion that it was better to get something in return for Little rather than just releasing him entirely. And general manager Scott Fitterer has a strong reputation for finding late-round gems during the draft.