5 Panthers players who should be worried after free-agent signings
By Dean Jones
Dennis Daley – Carolina Panthers OG
One could say it is still surprising that Dennis Daley is still on the Carolina Panthers roster given how much he’s struggled over the last two seasons. Another poor season in 2021 that came with an infamous “not my job” quote after yet another failed assignment should have left the South Carolina product on the brink, but the organization hasn’t cut ties just yet despite the fact it would save them more than $2 million against their cap.
Regardless of whether Daley is around or not, his chances of making a bigger impression have taken a significant blow over the first week of free agency. The additions of Bradley Bozeman and Austin Corbett have pushed the former sixth-round pick further down the pecking order and if further signings are made during free agency or the 2022 NFL Draft, then the lineman might not make it to training camp.
If this scenario comes to fruition for Daley, then he has nobody else to blame but himself. Injuries haven’t helped the player’s cause when a real opportunity arose, but a lack of consistency coupled with flawed technique makes it a hard sell to keep him around.
It would be a surprise if Daley turned things around in Carolina in the final year of his deal. Any more acquisitions between now and OTAs could see the writing cement itself on the wall for a player that does have some nice athletic traits, even if he hasn’t put them all together as yet.
Perhaps Daley would benefit from a fresh start, to be brutally honest. However, it is intriguing that the Panthers have not cut him loose entirely as yet, so new offensive line coach James Campen might want a closer look at the player before drawing his own conclusion.