3 Former Panthers Carolina Should Sign for a Reunion in Free Agency

3. Cameron Erving

Starting Cameron Erving for 17 games shouldn't be anyone's Plan A this season. He's clearly just not good enough to handle that job at this stage in his career.

But how often does your Plan A for an offensive line hold up for 17 games? And Erving is the perfect Plan B kind of lineman.

Erving has played tackle, guard, and center over his nine-year NFL career. You probably don't actually want him playing center, but that guard/tackle versatility is incredibly valuable for a reserve lineman. This allows them to step in for just about any injury, and even if your center goes down you can often bump over a guard, so Erving steps into the open spot anyway.

Of course, versatility doesn't mean much if a guy can't play. And my comments about not wanting Erving starting are largely tied to his run blocking. He can't do it, especially when you're comparing him to other guards.

But he's absolutely a capable (and at times even quite a good) pass protector.

Few things can stunt a young quarterback's development more than constantly facing pressure. And even if your starting line can keep the QB upright, you don't want to be in a position where a single injury causes those issues.

Erving would make sure that even an injury up front isn't going to be a total disaster for Young's sophomore season.

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