The Carolina Panthers have been active in free agency as they look to improve from a 5-12 season. Tershawn Wharton, Tre’Von Moehrig, and Bobby Brown III are some of the big signings that Carolina has made in the first week of the free-agent period, but the Panthers still need to add more to compete in the NFC South.
One of the biggest needs remaining is wide receiver. The Panthers were able to convince Adam Thielen to come back for another year, but Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette are coming off underwhelming rookie seasons. Stefon Diggs, Keenan Allen, and Amari Cooper are also available but the top free agents may be reluctant to come to Carolina based on their recent track record.
With that in mind, the Panthers may need to target an under-the-radar free agent to give Bryce Young another weapon. And their sights should be set on wide receiver Elijah Moore.
Panthers Should Target Elijah Moore Before It’s Too Late
Moore was a second-round pick by the New York Jets in the 2021 draft and had a promising rookie season with 43 catches for 538 yards and five touchdowns. He couldn’t take a step forward the following year with just 37 catches for 446 yards and a touchdown and was traded to the Cleveland Browns.
Moore put up modest production over two years in Cleveland, catching 120 passes for 1,178 yards and three touchdowns. But he never became a dynamic threat due to the quarterbacks he was working with. From Deshaun Watson to Zach Wilson, Moore has caught passes from a carousel of passers and didn’t see opportunities as he was behind Garrett Wilson in New York and Amari Cooper in Cleveland.
Before you think Moore is heading to a place where receivers die – Thielen (2023) and D.J. Moore (2021) are Carolina’s only 1,000-yard receivers over the past four seasons – he could have a valuable role in the Panthers’ offense.
The Panthers don’t have a lot of speed on the field, but they also take a lot of downfield. At 13.8%, Bryce Young had the ninth-highest target rate of 20 or more yards among qualifying passers last season. It’s also shown in Carolina’s qualifying receivers as Thielen (11.7), Coker (11.4), Legette (12.6), and David Moore (11.8) all had an average depth of target over 10 yards last season. While Elijah Moore had an average depth of target of 9.6 yards last season, he’s eclipsed the 10-yard barrier in his three previous seasons.
Then there’s the fact that Elijah Moore can catch the ball. Legette had the sixth-highest drop rate among qualifying receivers last year at 14%, and David Moore ranked 16th with a drop rate of 11.1%. While Thielen (4%) and Coker (3%) are more reliable targets, Elijah Moore would fit in with a 6.2% drop rate last season and a 5.2% career drop rate.
There’s no guarantee that Young will be more stable than some of the other quarterbacks that Moore has played with during his career. But it will give him a better chance to succeed if he has a downfield target that can catch the ball.
At 25 years old, Moore has the upside Carolina should be looking for in free agents and shouldn’t break the bank if he winds up as a house of cards for Legette and Coker to topple for more playing time next season. It makes Moore an obvious target and one the Panthers should pursue in free agency.