Patience can help Carolina Panthers resurrect Caleb Farley's NFL career

Dan Morgan continues to churn over the bottom of his roster in pursuit of finding a diamond in the rough who can help the Carolina Panthers turn their season around. This was a method adopted by his predecessor Scott Fitterer without much success attached, but a recent transaction brings a significant level of intrigue.

The Panthers signed cornerback Caleb Farley, who'll start on the practice squad. Carolina plans to elevate him quickly onto the 53-man roster once the former first-round selection finds his feet in a new environment.

This is a low-risk, potentially high-reward signing by the Panthers. They aren't losing anything by bringing Farley into the fold to see what he can offer. His athletic gifts were never in question, but it's been a luckless run on the injury front for a player who did have some red flags coming out of college.

Carolina Panthers must take things slowly with Caleb Farley

Farley was an outstanding young prospect with some accomplished production at Virginia Tech. Concerns were raised during pre-draft assessments surrounding a herniated disk in his back that required a microdiscectomy. Some wondered if he'd ever be able to produce effectively in the NFL. A few teams reportedly took him off their draft board entirely.

The Tennessee Titans were not one of them, taking Farley at No. 22 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. It was an ill-advised decision by those in power at the time.

Things couldn't have gone worse for Farley in Tennessee. He tore his ACL as a rookie and played 12 games over his three years before the franchise eventually cut their losses. This was a blow for the player, but it's probably something he was anticipating after such a turbulent spell.

Carolina is giving him a shot closer to home in the hope this can provide the spark needed to excel. Farley hails from Maiden, North Carolina, and will be relishing the prospect of playing just a short distance from his family.

It's hard to gauge what he could be at the next level as there isn't much of a sample size. Farley will be brought along gradually to potentially contribute as the season progresses. If anyone was due a bit of luck, it's him. Hopefully, this comes with the Panthers.

The cornerback room is getting stronger. Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson Sr. represent a decent starting tandem. Troy Hill is the slot piece but aging. The Panthers have also opened Dane Jackson's practice window following an early spell on injured reserve. This will provide Farley with a chance to find his football legs again, build back some confidence, and strengthen the problem areas on his body that have proven detrimental to his league aspirations so far.

There was no disputing Farley's talent coming out. He's got the size, length, and athleticism to become a valuable contributor. The player's young enough to start trending upward, but the Panthers must take their time.

It's a similar situation to the Panthers' picking up running back/return specialist Tarik Cohen last year. They're losing nothing by getting a closer look at Farley. If it doesn't work out, it won't be for a lack of trying on either side.

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