Former second round draft pick WR Stephen Hill is in Charlotte on Monday, working out for the Carolina Panthers as the team looks to add more weapons for Cam Newton before their Week 1 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Hill was a former second round pick of the New York Jets and failed to make an impact over his two years with the team. He's an incredibly raw receiver who didn't grow much over his time in the NFL, but could develop under the tutelage of Ricky Proehl and have a similar impact to that of Ted Ginn Jr., another problematic receiver who flourished under Proehl.
It's important to understand exactly what the Panthers would be getting if they signed Hill. At this point he's little more than a deep threat on fly routes without the reliable hands needed to fulfill the task. That said, one of the prime arguments against selecting Kelvin Benjamin was the perception that he had hands of stone, and Proehl quickly worked magic on the rookie receiver.
This would be an excellent move with no downside for the Panthers. The team has become a solid landing spot for redemption products and either Hill would work out, or not. It's not like the back-end of the receiving corps is infallible, and if nothing else he adds speed to a team with a lot of size but lacking straight-line ability.
Make it happen, Dave Gettleman.