Sir Purr
Well-known member
- Mar 16, 2019
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Since the Panthers entered the offseason with just one starter under contract (center Matt Paradis), the line was a bit of a blank canvas. But after tagging right tackle Taylor Moton and bringing back Miller, the right side is back from last year, making it reasonable to suggest that left guard could be where Elflein begins.
That leaves left tackle, and while Erving has also bounced around himself, he's hoping that's where he could find a home.
The former first-round pick of the Browns has played all five line positions in the NFL, but filled in at left tackle in Dallas last year when injuries hit. It brought him back to his days at Florida State, but he's also been around long enough to know things can change in an instant.
"Yeah, you know nobody gives you anything in this league, that's first things first," Erving said when he arrived last week. "But they wanted me to come in here and compete to play left tackle. That's something I've been striving for and wanting to do for a long time in my career. I've bounced around, played a lot of different things, and it's taught me a lot of lessons, but being able to come back and play the position I started at would be just a great blessing.
"Early on, it was difficult for me. But as your career goes on, you learn more, and the game slows down for you. Last year, I was able to play for five games, injuries kept me out some, but I felt like it was some of the best football I played. For me to have that feeling was good, but I feel like I can play even better than I did last year. Being able to build off that is huge."