Panthers: 3 free agents who can alter 2021 NFL Draft plans

Joe Thuney, G

Carolina has one of the best if not the best running backs in all of football in Christian McCaffrey aka CMC. What we saw last year is the fact he is not super-man, he can get hurt, and he can get hurt often. Keeping him from getting smashed at the line of scrimmage and opening more holes to the second level should be a high-priority for their franchise player.

Joe Thuney can do that, he also brings veteran leadership and a winning pedigree. After spending his whole career on the patriots, no one on that team has won more playoff games. He has never missed a game for the Patriots. In 2020 his first year without Tom Brady at the helm Thuney still only allowed two sacks, got just three penalties and fell just short of 1,000 snaps.

This is one of the better offensive guards in all of football, and with the durability to match. Keeping which ever quarter back at the helm upright and allowing CMC to do just about whatever he wants is just what Thuney can do. Getting Thuney will cost a little bit of money, but breaking the bank to make sure your best players stay on the field will be by far worth it.

Adding Thuney here will pretty much seal off any thought of an offensive linemen in the first round, however getting an offensive tackle in the middle-rounds wont be off the board. But, that move could open up a slot to get DeVonta Smith, or everyone’s favorite option quarterback Trey Lance.