5 biggest turkeys from the Carolina Panthers 2021 season
By Dean Jones
Cam Erving – Carolina Panthers OT
The groans of dismay from the Carolina Panthers’ fanbase when they announced the signing of Cam Erving on Day 1 of free agency were hard to ignore. The offensive tackle has been lackluster throughout his time in the league after arriving as a first-round pick and why the organization made acquiring him such a high priority remains a mystery to this day.
As expected, Erving has offered almost nothing despite his big talk throughout the week. There’s been the odd solid performance here and there, but nothing to suggest he could ever be the franchise left tackle Carolina’s been searching for since Jordan Gross retired.
Erving cannot be left on an island by himself. That’s the long and short of it.
The former Florida State star has also endured some injury problems to further diminish his influence. Erving is currently on the reserve/injured list, which coincidentally has seen the offensive line show signs of life in his absence.
Erving has given up one sack and conceded four penalties from 450 snaps this season to secure a disappointing 54.1 grade from Pro Football Focus. The Panthers signed him to a two-year deal, so unless they plan on moving him onto the interior he is a potential candidate for early release despite a dead-cap hit of around $4 million.
This was a swing and a miss by the Panthers. One would be lying if more than a few people saw this eventuality beforehand.