5 big gambles that backfired on the Carolina Panthers in 2021
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers signed Cam Erving and Pat Elflein
There was a real sense of dread when it came to the signings of Cam Erving and Pat Elflein. Two underperforming veterans who had done nothing to be considered top priorities for the Carolina Panthers on Day 1 of free agency.
Just why those in power felt the need to hand both players to two-year deals was an absolutely mystery. And it came as no surprise to see both fail to meet even lowly expectations throughout the 2021 season.
In fairness to Elflein, he showed signs of life when Matt Paradis went down with a season-ending injury and the Panthers were forced to switch him back to center – a position he starred in college at Ohio State.
The same cannot be said of Erving, who was lackluster at best and was always on the back foot during media availability as a result. Again, not exactly unexpected from a former first-round draft pick who hasn’t reached the required standard by any stretch of the imagination.
This was a major swing and a miss by the Panthers. One that’s going to cost them a solid amount of dead money if they decide to end this failed experiment early.
It might be worth keeping Elflein on the books if the right improvements are made alongside him on the interior. But for Erving, cutting their losses is the best way to go.