5 Carolina Panthers who have held the team back in 2021
By Dean Jones
Cam Erving – Carolina Panthers OT
Signing Cam Erving on Day 1 of free agency was a head-scratching move by the Carolina Panthers at the time. The former first-round pick has been inconsistent at best throughout his career and handing him a two-year contract when there couldn’t have been that much competition remains a bizarre move to this day.
Erving’s protection on the edge was a constant flaw. When the Panthers needed their left tackle to step up in crucial moments, he failed to produce the goods.
Not only this, but Erving’s demeanor during press conferences only increased the division between the Florida State product and the team’s fanbase. And it’s come as no surprise to witness things visibly improve on the blindside when rookie Brady Christensen was installed.
The coaching staff was reluctant to throw Christensen in at his preferred position during the season. Clearly, the short arms became an issue for Matt Rhule and yet another sign of poor player evaluation.
It remains to be seen whether Christensen remains at the left tackle spot in 2022. But even if Carolina opts to switch the third-round selection, Erving’s already proven incapable of manning the position with any sort of consistency.
Carolina is now stuck with Erving unless they absorb a dead-cap figure of $4.51 million. A predicament they brought on themselves, in all honesty.