Well, football fans the next date we have to look forward to is March 17th when the 2021 new league year begins. On this date, teams are allowed to explore free agents and re-sign their own. We will be taking a look at each Carolina Panther who has an expired contract and come to a conclusion on whether the team should attempt to re-sign them or not.
Pos: DL
Name: Efe Obada
Height: 6'6" Weight: 265 lbs
FA Status: Restricted
2020 Stats: 18 combined tackles, 10 solo tackles, 5.5 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 forced fumble
Analysis: Efe Obada has become a fan favorite in Charlotte and it's easy to see why. He was born in Nigeria, grew up in London, and didn't start playing football until he was 22 years old. He didn't make his way to the Panthers until 2017 where he made the 53-man roster and suited up for his first career regular-season game in 2018. He is coming off of his best season as a pro with 5.5 sacks. He will be 29 next season but it seems like he is just starting to enter his football-playing prime. The late-bloomer has impressed head coach Matt Rhule and defensive coordinator Phil Snow after he was initially cut to start the 2020 campaign.
Obada is such an interesting player because we have yet to really see how good he can really be. The Panthers are in desperate need of another pass-rusher beside Brian Burns and Obada looked like he was starting to develop into just that at the end of last season. Despite playing in all 16 games he only started one and was still second on the team in total sacks. If Rhule decides to put him in the starting lineup next season he could definitely add to his sack total.
Re-sign or wave Goodbye: Re-sign
It would be incredibly tough for the Panthers to let go of Obada just to see him go play his best football for another team. Carolina has invested a lot of time and effort into the defensive line and Obada fits in perfectly. He is a restricted free agent which means they will have the first crack at re-signing him without any other teams making an offer. Obada is a low-risk, high-reward player that the Panthers can't let slip away.
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