Carolina Panthers end of season awards: 2021 edition
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers OL
It was hard to single out just one player as a major disappointment. So we decided to give this unwanted distinction to the Carolina Panthers offensive line.
The bar was pretty low regarding this unit outside of stud right tackle Taylor Moton. Questionable free-agent moves and waiting until Round 3 to address the protection during the 2021 NFL Draft left more than a few concerns about performance and consistency when it came to the crunch.
These doubts were confirmed early on and continued throughout the season. There was a two-game stretch midway through the campaign where it looked like they might have turned the corner, but the line reverted to type and nosedived further down the stretch.
The likes of John Miller, Dennis Daley, and Michael Jordan are nowhere near NFL starting caliber linemen. Signing Cam Erving and Pat Elflein – both to two-year deals – on Day 1 of free agency was also a grave lack of judgment.
Moton’s been consistent on the whole. There could also be roles for Brady Christensen and Deonte Brown in 2022 providing the necessary developments take place this offseason.
However, there needs to be a substantial amount of investment in the offensive line in the coming weeks. Otherwise, it doesn’t matter who is at quarterback.