Carolina Panthers: High on the Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
The Carolina Panthers really don’t have a shortage of targets for Cam Newton to throw to.
The Carolina Panthers have lots of positions where depth or skill might be an issue. The one position that does not seem to be hurting in this regard is the pass catcher role of receivers and tight ends. Here the Panthers have a goodly crew of characters. Each has flaws (except Greg Olsen) but together they hit all the notes you would want.
Let’s start with Olsen. He is Cam’s security blanket and has the ability to get open or make difficult catches most times. It is no wonder that he has led the team in receiving for the last two years. Beyond Olsen is Ed Dickson, who has his moments and suits his purpose.
The wide receivers may not have overwhelming stats because of troubles up front for the Panthers. Pressure prevents Newton from getting comfortable and that limits the time he gets to throw.
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That fact seems to be affecting the Panthers in different ways. One is that Cam is throwing high balls when in trouble. This is not so bad if Olsen, Kelvin Benjamin, or Devin Funchess are on the receiving end. Ted Ginn and Corey Brown have had to watch things go over head from time to time.
Ginn has been a good thing for the team so far this season. He will still drop the occasional ball, but his speed and yards after catch have changed the game for the Panthers at times. He is even getting more looks on shorter routes.
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Funchess is on pace to match his production from last year. The bad news is that Funchess played a lot more this year. The other news is that Funchess is probably Newton’s third look a lot of the time. When pressured, Newton does not get three looks. Funchess has still displayed some big plays here and there and his development is well on its way.
Benjamin is where things get odd. He seems to be the one player on the team most affected by the Panthers’ fall from Super Bowl team to 5-8. He is still big and can make the great catch but his mental state seems to lack focus at times. He lost the Kansas City game by not securing the football and was pulled from the Chargers game for lack of effort. Let’s hope that Benjamin’s fair weather feelings pass or we might have to draw the wrong kind of comparisons to David Boston.
Overall this group is the one that needs the least amount of tinkering in the off season. Don’t be surprised to see the same cast of characters at again next year.