MONDAY, 10:58am: Oher’s two-year deal with the Panthers is worth $7MM, including a $2.5MM signing bonus, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
FRIDAY, 1:00pm: The player who protected Cam Newton‘s blind side in 2014 – Byron Bell – won’t return to the Panthers for 2015, and now the team has signed the player who was the inspiration for The Blind Side. The Panthers announced today in a press release that they’ve added offensive tackle Michael Oher on a two-year contract.
After spending his first five seasons in Baltimore, Oher inked a four-year, $20MM contract with Tennessee last winter that was widely viewed as an overpay at the time. Sure enough, after one disappointing season with the Titans, the club cut him loose a month ago, allowing him to test the open market early. Oher reportedly visited with the Panthers last week.
Although he was mostly solid during his time with the Ravens, Oher struggled in 2014 with Tennessee, battling injuries and underperforming at right tackle for the club. In 11 games, the 28-year-old allowed six sacks and 26 quarterback hurries before he landed on the injured reserve list, ending his season.
It’s not clear yet whether the Panthers envision Oher as their new left tackle, but with Bell out of the picture, the former first-round pick looks like the early favorite for the position.