CHARLOTTE — The Panthers added another NFL veteran to the coaching staff, in hopes of stabilizing one of last season's problem areas.
The team has agreed to terms with veteran offensive line coach James Campen.
The 57-year-old Campen was most recently with the Texans in the same job.
He spent 15 years with the Packers coaching offensive linemen (from 2004-2018), giving him background with new Panthers offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo.
During that time, the Packers had seven Pro Bowl linemen, and had a habit of turning mid- to late-round picks into consistent performers.
Campen spent the 2019 season with the Browns and 2020 with the Chargers before spending last year with the Texans.
He also played seven seasons in the league with the Saints and Packers (1987-93), starting 50 games during his career.
The Panthers are intent on improving their offensive line this offseason. They allowed 52 sacks last year (fifth-highest total in the league).
They have some known commodities in right tackle Taylor Moton and center Pat Elflein, and young players with promise including Brady Christensen, Deonte Brown, and Michael Jordan.
Between free agency and the draft, they're expected to add significant resources to the group. The sixth overall pick could get them one of the top three tackles in this year's draft, Alabama's Evan Neal, Mississippi State's Charles Cross, or N.C. State's Ikem Ekwonu, who is from Charlotte. But they figure to be active in free agency prior to that as well, where a number of solid starting options are about to hit the market.
