4 Carolina Panthers who must play more after the bye week
By Dean Jones
Which Carolina Panthers players could see more playing time once the team returns from its long-awaited bye week?
It’s been the rollercoaster many expected for the Carolina Panthers in 2021. Whether the good has outweighed the bad is up for serious debate, but the building blocks are there for progress if those in power can finally start sorting out the obvious problem areas that constantly hold this team back.
What transpires over the next five games will shape the future of this franchise. The Panthers cannot afford a complete capitulation over a tough run of games down the stretch, which could lead to some big decisions regarding personnel and the coaching staff in this scenario.
The chances of Carolina making the postseason appear slim. So the prospect of some individuals further down the depth chart getting more of a role in the not-too-distant future is very real.
With this in mind, here are four Panthers players who must see more playing time after the team’s bye week.
Player No. 1
Deonte Brown – Carolina Panthers OG
The Panthers have absolutely no clue what Deonte Brown could be. The sixth-round pick has been on the shelf through injury and there remain some weight concerns surrounding the offensive lineman, who was a dominant figure throughout his time with Alabama at the college level.
Brown has officially been activated and will hopefully start to see some playing time once Carolina gets off their bye. After all, current right guard Trent Scott got an astonishing 0.0 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus for his efforts at the Miami Dolphins.
It doesn’t appear as if the Panthers are going anywhere quickly. So they won’t have a better opportunity to throw Brown in at the deep end and see how he copes.