Brad Muckenthaler-Flickr
Twelve. That is the number of WRs the Carolina Panthers are bringing into camp. Message received. The team definitely feels the void left by former Carolina Panther and now Baltimore Ravens player, Steve Smith.
Sure Kelvin Benjamin was a great draft selection by the team, hauling in 73-catches for 1,008-yards and 9-TDs in 2014. However other than Greg Olsen who else can Cam Newton trust to snag down his fastballs?
If you think for one minute that Jerricho Cotchery is a solid number 2 then you need to slap yourself. Panthers’ fans have to feel relieved that the front office and I were on the same page during this year’s Draft.
Cam has to be thrilled with the 2015 Offseason. He is closing in on a new contract worth over 100 million dollars today to add on top of his new toy in second round selection, Funchess. Head Coach Ron Rivera has high expectations and is intrigued to see what this new receiving corps is all about according to Panthers.com writer Bryan Strickland, saying:
“Our wide receiver group has gone through a transition the last year-and-a-half, and we expect it to continue to get better.”
It’s not every day a QB gets to throw to a 6-4, 232 lbs WR. Tight End, maybe but to have a big guy like this second-team All-Big Ten selection in the x or the z position is quite the luxury. Did I mention this guy has experience at TE as well? He could be used in double TE sets with Olsen.
Considering that the average CB in the NFL is 5’11-215lbs, there will be plenty of vertical mis-matches to take advantage of.
I am not declaring the former Michigan Wolverine a day one starter, because of the competition from experienced veterans in Ted Ginn Jr., Cotchery and athletic freak, Stephen Hill. However, I will go as far as saying he will be in the top three by the end of preseason.
This is because Ginn has proven that while he has chemistry with Newton from his 36-556-5 TD 2013 season with the team, his strengths are primarily as a Kick Returner and a deep-threat; Cotchery is a career no.3 receiver; and Hill has had trouble letting his athleticism translate to the game.
Funchess will prove to be a big Red-Zone target for Newton and will definitely take some of the attention away from Olsen and Benjamin. If this young man can attack the ball with more aggressiveness in jump-ball situations and work on acceleration out of his routes, he is going to be huge on the 2015 NFL stage.
Jermaine Lockett is the CEO and a Writer for Couch Rider Report. Follow us on twitter and like us on Facebook.
