BREAKING: Panthers to Sign OL Pat Elflein to Three-Year Deal
The Carolina Panthers are wasting no time in rebuilding the offensive line this offseason as the team has reached a three-year, $13.5 million deal ($6 million guaranteed) with Pat Elflein, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Elflein was drafted out of Ohio State in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings where he spent the first three years and some change of his career. He was waived by Minnesota back in November and was claimed by the New York Jets, appearing in six games.
Elflein is very capable of being a legitimate starter up front but does need to clean up some areas of his game, including pass protection. After a strong rookie season in 2017 lining up at center, he took quite a step back in 2018, which forced the Vikings to move him over to guard. In 2019, Elflein allowed eight sacks and committed eight penalties - certainly numbers that need to trim down.
Despite his recent struggles, offensive line coach Pat Meyer should be able to get him back on track by tweaking some things with his footwork which will put him in a position to succeed. This isn't a splash signing for the Panthers but it is a quality move that should help reshape an offensive line that struggled mightily at times in 2020.
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