5 recent Carolina Panthers departures who were missed most in 2021

Denzel Perryman – Former Carolina Panthers LB

There’s little doubt that Denzel Perryman was one of the more eye-catching signings made by the Carolina Panthers in free agency. The former second-round pick performed superbly on a rotational basis for the Los Angeles Chargers and bringing him on board had the potential to fill a gaping void left by Luke Kuechly’s shock retirement following the 2019 campaign.

Perryman is athletic, fast, and has the football IQ to be around the action consistently. However, things got off to a rough start for the linebacker and head coach Matt Rhule, which eventually saw the player traded to the Las Vegas Raiders for nothing more than a late-round draft pick.

Rhule felt confident enough in Jermaine Carter to name him the starter in training camp. But what came next for both players meant this was a substantial error that cost the team in a big way.

Carter did not make the most out of a starting chance, proving inconsistent in run support and non-existent when it came to generating pressure or assisting in coverage. This was made worse by Perryman’s production in Las Vegas, which ended with a deserved selection to the Pro Bowl following a tremendous campaign.

This was a bizarre turn of events from start to finish. Had Perryman stayed in Carolina with an ever-improving young defense, there’s simply no telling how far this group could have gone last season.