John Miller – Carolina Panthers OG
The Carolina Panthers gave John Miller the benefit of the doubt this offseason. A COVID-19 ravaged campaign made things difficult for any player to make a smooth adjustment to new surroundings, so the coaching staff was hoping the veteran could make more of an impression after a structured preparation period on a team-friendly deal.
Sadly, their faith in Miller hasn’t been rewarded.
Miller just hasn’t been consistent. Catching the virus when unvaccinated didn’t exactly help matters, with other injury problems also contributing to the former third-round pick’s minimal contribution in 2021.
This is a microcosm of how poorly Carolina approached the offseason when it came to their protection. One of the most important areas of the field that’s been constantly ignored no matter what regime is calling the shots.
Whether Miller comes back for the final run of fixtures at some stage is a moot point. Even though the Panthers will install him straight into the lineup as long as they are in with a shot of reaching the playoffs.
Miller has given up four sacks and conceded three penalties from 449 snaps in 2021 en route to a modest 54.0 grade from Pro Football Focus. There doesn’t appear an avenue to a new deal next spring, but whether another team will look past this poor production remains to be seen.