4 Carolina Panthers players who must be demoted immediately

(Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports) Cameron Erving
(Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports) Cameron Erving
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Carolina Panthers
(Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports) Cam Erving

Cameron Erving – Carolina Panthers OT

Insisting on moving forward with Cam Erving as the starting left tackle is admirable. The Carolina Panthers don’t want to admit they made a mistake by bringing the former first-round pick on board, even if that means sacrificing the development of third-round pick Brady Christensen in the process.

However, another less than stellar outing against the Atlanta Falcons leaves absolutely no doubt Erving is not the long-term answer despite the Panthers inexplicably giving him a two-year deal on the very first day of free agency.

Erving was activated from the reserve/injured list in time for Sunday’s game. So whether that had something to do with his complications on the field is up for debate.

But this isn’t the first time Erving has flattered to deceive this season and the Panthers need to quit while they’re ahead and put Christensen on the blindside over the next four games.

Seriously, what’s the worst that can happen?

The BYU product is clearly more comfortable playing at left tackle rather than guard or even at the center position. Matt Rhule and his staff mention arm length all the time when it comes to Christensen, but footwork and athleticism far outweigh this problem and it’s not like Erving has been playing at anything like an elite level, anyway.

There is a chance Erving becomes one-and-done in Carolina this offseason. But the dead-cap figure of around $4 million could land the lineman a reprieve and makes the decision to hand him such a deal even more of a head-scratcher.

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