Carolina Panthers Offense: The Number 2 WR Problem

Part 2 of the Carolina Panthers Off-Season Strategy for arming Cam Newton brings us to the wide receiver position. Yesterday, I showed you that the Panthers needed a Sprolesian number two back and pointed mainly at the draft to go and get that guy. Today we are still keeping with the theme of speed and looking at options for the number 2 receiver position.

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The Panthers had something of a defensive facial last year with the secondary to make it faster last year. A less drastic move occurred in the receiving corps. Jason Avant was cut after criticizing playcalling and he was replaced by rookie speedster Philly Brown. Brown offered a hint of a deep threat, but teams were not scared of him. The next job the Panthers will have to improve on that role.

Kelvin Benjamin had a great rookie season by the numbers. He had more than a thousand yards receiving and he made big plays when no one else could do so. However he was also target number one for a defensive secondary. The goal is to put someone on the other side that opposing coordinators must respect at their own peril.

Nov 13, 2014; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins wide receiver Mike Wallace (11) cannot make the touchdown catch as Buffalo Bills free safety Aaron Williams (23) defends in the first half of the game at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports

One possibility would be Mike Wallace, who is unhappy in his current situation with the Dolphins. Wallace is being shopped as we speak, but his contract is too onerous as it stands for any team to take a bite. Likely enough, the Dolphins will release Wallace if they don’t get an offer they like. Wallace could be had cheaper.

The speedster felt frustrated because the Dolphins would not maximize his skills, which is running behind defenses. Ryan Tannehill has been learning the Philbin system well, and that is a West Coast dink and dunk kind of passing game. Think about all the times that Cam threw deep shots that had no chance (or worse were picked), and now try to imagine Wallace running under those balls.

Wallace is good for 75 catches and around 900 yards per season. He actually caught ten touchdowns last year. Whether or not he can be had for number two money is hard to say. And he is still on the Dolphins.

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The draft could be the Panthers friend again. Good receivers might be had later than the first round.
If it is a young guy, then the Panthers should look for combinations of size and speed. Devin Smith of Ohio State is probably as short as they should be looking and Smith is 6’0”.

One guy who might fall in the draft is Dorial Green-Beckham. However the reason he would do so is personal issues, something the Panthers are likely to be sensitive to. They would likely pass on the 6’6” 4.5 forty Green-Beckham for that reason.

Establishing a second option would give the Panthers a layered passing attack that teams would fear with Benjamin, the new speedster, and tight end Greg Olsen to keep track of. Of course if Newton does not have time to throw, then it is all for naught. Tomorrow we will look at the left tackle position.

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