Ted Ginn returning to Panthers, per report

Free agency is in full swing and the Panthers are wasting no time. Early reports from Charlotte indicate that wide receiver Ted Ginn will return to Carolina with a deal being announced later today.

The length and terms of the deal are not currently known, according to a report from Joe Person but it's safe to assume he'll be on a one-year contract.

Ginn was not the perfect wide receiver when he was in Carolina for the 2013 season, but he did add something the team sorely missed for much of the decade before: A reliable and constant threat on special teams. The 2014 season was largely a mess at both kick returner and punt returner, with Brenton Bersin and Philly Brown trying their hand, both of whom were disastrous. If nothing else Ginn will help convert more short punts to field goals, which is just what the team needs right now.

Reconciling the third receiver spot will be a balancing act the team will need to work on. Brown showed he legitimately deserves more reps at wide receiver after breaking out at the back-end of the year, but Ginn can stretch the field well and quickly developed a rapport with Cam Newton when he was here in 2013.

Is Ted Ginn the savior of the Panthers? No, but overall this is a great move assuming the money was right. It's another weapon on a team sorely in need of players who can stretch the field, and his special teams chops will be invaluable.