Signing Charles Leno Jr. Would Solve a Major Problem for the Panthers

The Chicago Bears have decided to release veteran offensive tackle Charles Leno Jr. on Monday. This move comes after the Bears drafted Oklahoma State offensive tackle Teven Jenkins in the 2nd round of the 2021 NFL Draft - a trade they made with the Carolina Panthers.

Offensive tackle was thought to be where the Panthers would go in the 1st or 2nd round of the draft but with Penei Sewell going to Detroit just ahead of them at No. 7, they went with South Carolina CB Jaycee Horn. In the 2nd round, the Panthers traded back twice before finally selecting LSU wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. The move to trade back while top offensive tackles were still on the board was questionable but they did land BYU's Brady Christensen later on Friday night in the 3rd round.

If the season were to start this upcoming Sunday, you would likely see a starting lineup that would feature Cameron Erving at left tackle with Brady Christensen serving as the backup. Erving has had his fair share of struggles throughout his NFL career and has never lived up to expectations after being drafted in the 1st round back in 2015. With Erving's documented struggles and the inexperience of Christensen, the Panthers should seriously consider bringing in the 29-year-old Leno Jr.

According to Spotrac, the Panthers have roughly $17 million in cap space. With it being a late release, not many teams are going to be willing to pay Leno Jr. the amount that he deserves. He'll probably end up with a one-year deal or a contract that has some voidable years thrown onto it. Leno Jr. was set to make $8.9 million this year with Chicago so assuming that he goes for less, the Panthers could offer him somewhere in the ballpark of a one-year, $5-6 million deal.

Adding Leno Jr. would give the Panthers stability on the left side of the offensive line and would allow time for Christensen to develop.

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