The big issue facing the Panthers this offseason is not new; Cam Newton needs more weapons. This problem became magnified during the playoff this past season when guys like Kaelin Clay and Brenton Bersin were forced into action and expected to make plays as the team tried to capitalize on an excellent regular season. The injury bug hit this team hard, which is something nobody can control, however it also showed that the team’s depth at wide receiver was paper thin. This issue can be fixed, however a methodology change may be in order.
The team always seems to walk into the offseason with a certain idea, X Guy is the number one guy so let’s bring in complimentary pieces to fill out the back end of the depth chart. This problem went back to even the Steve Smith days, when guys like Brandon LaFell and David Gettis were the ones brought in to be starters. Let’s take a look at how the team tried to address their Nos. 2 and 3 receivers in the past.
2012 wide receivers: Steve Smith, Brandon LaFell, Armanti Edwards. Panthers signed Louis Murphy in free agency, with mixed results.
2013 wide receivers: Steve Smith, Brandon LaFell, Armanti Edwards. Panthers signed Ted Ginn and Domenik Hixon in free agency. Ted Ginn turned out to be an excellent weapon, while Domenik Hixon had a playoff clinching touchdown catch during the biggest game of the season. Neither returned the following season.
2014 wide receivers: Panthers cut ties with Steve Smith, and let Brandon LaFell and Ted Ginn walk in free agency. They signed Jerricho Cotchery, Jason Avant, and Tiquan Underwood as replacements, and drafted Kelvin Benjamin in the first round of the draft, while also adding Philly Brown as an undrafted free agent. Only Benjamin, Brown, and Cotchery really contributed any value as an anemic offense struggled to a 7-8-1 record.
2015 wide receivers: Kelvin Benjamin, Philly Brown, and Jerricho Cotchery returned for the 2015 season. The team also brought back Ted Ginn, signed Jarrett Boykin, and traded up to grab Devin Funchess in the second round of the draft. Benjamin went down with an unfortunate knee injury, however the team put it together on offense and went on a rampage, en route to being the number one scoring offense. Jarrett Boykin didn’t even see the field, and Devin Funchess shined later on in the season in a more limited role.
2016 wide receivers: The team for the most part stayed the same. Cotchery did not return, but Benjamin did. Benjamin struggled all season, Devin Funchess did not really push himself forward, neither did Philly Brown. Ted Ginn shined and had his best season as a Panthers, but the offense once again was anemic and the team didn’t even hit .500.
2017 wide receivers: Ted Ginn was allowed to walk once again, and the team tried to find more diamonds in the free agency rough by signing Russell Shepard and Charles Johnson. They uncharacteristically added top talent in the draft with running back/wide receiver Christian McCaffery in the first, and Curtis Samuel in the second. Damiere Byrd also finally got a chance to shine and made the most of it before succumbing to said injury bug. Curtis Samuel did the same after missing most of the offseason due to injury, finally making an impact on the field and then going on injured reserve. Shepard didn’t do much as a starter, Kelvin Benjamin was traded a few weeks into the season, and Charles Johnson never made it onto the field. Devin Funchess finally stepped up and showed he can be a top wide receiver on an offense.
As you can see, a pattern pops up throughout the last five offseasons. The Panthers have their “top” guy, and add talent to round out the middle to bottom of the depth chart. In free agency, they didn’t come close to breaking the bank. They spent a total of three picks in the first and second round of FIVE drafts to add wide receivers, four if you want to count McCaffery. And yet, the narrative has continued that Cam Newton needs more weapons around him nearly every offseason.
Looking forward to the 2018 season, a similar situation faces the team. Devin Funchess is what many would call the de facto No. 1 receiver, while Curtis Samuel and Christian McCaffery are about the only others I could see as mainstays for the next three years. McCaffery will factor heavily into the receiver rotation, but in the end he is best suited as a slot wide receiver when not in the back field. Damiere Byrd will likely get another shot, however he could not stay healthy and had two go-arounds on the long term injury report, much like Samuel. If the Panthers really want to get Cam more weapons and make their offense more effective, I believe they should build at the top, not from the bottom.
Successful offenses in 2018
When you look at the top offenses that made the playoffs, nearly all of them made a significant investment in weapons for their quarterback, or happened to find high end talent on the cheap or in the later parts of the draft.
Minnesota Vikings: Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs were arguably the top wide receiver group in the league this season. They managed to get Diggs in the fifth round of the 2015 draft, and got Thielen as an undrafted free agent. They did invest in their offense by drafting Dalvin Cook in the first round last season, signed Latavius Murray in free agency, and added Laquon Treadwell in the first round a year before. While they were lucky to not have to burn major draft capital or free agent dollars, they are a prime example of what a team can do with multiple high end wide receivers.
Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles had three top wide receiver targets this season, two of which they brought in last offseason. They spent a first round pick on Nelson Agholor in 2015, and added Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith during the 2017 free agency period. They moved quickly to surround Carson Wentz with some more talent, having also nabbed Zach Ertz at tight end in the second round of the 2013 draft in addition to Agholor. Their high flying offense went punch for punch with Tom Brady in this past Super Bowl.
New England Patriots: While the Pats already had Tom Brady and all world tight end Rob Gronkowski, they’ve been surrounding them with more talent for the last several years. Julian Edelman was slated to be their top wide receiver before getting injured, but by the time the season rolled around they had plenty of options. They traded a first round pick to grab established speed threat Brandin Cooks, they signed Chris Hogan in 2016, they signed Danny Amendola in 2013, traded for Phillip Dorsett last offseason, and drafted Malcolm Mitchell in the fourth round of the 2016 draft. The Patriots are experts at adding talent they can fit into a niche role, but they have been especially active the last two seasons adding receiver talent to an already good group.
Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans: I’m going to lump these two together because they did most of their building through the draft while also looking for a franchise quarterback over the last few years. The Texans drafted DeAndre Hopkins in the first round of the 2013 draft and got one of the best in the league. That didn’t stop them from adding more complimentary talent, in 2016 they drafted Will Fuller in the first as well, in addition to adding guys like Jaelen Strong who didn’t pan out. Once they found Deshaun Watson, he already had some great pieces around him. The Jaguars spent a second round pick on Allen Robinson, a first on Marqise Lee, and found Allen Hurns as an undrafted free agent. They drafted Dede Westbrook in the fourth round of the 2017 draft as well.
These teams did get lucky to find guys who could produce at a high level on the cheap, but they also made a concerted effort to add talent at the top with premium pieces (top draft picks, free agent contracts). This is where the Panthers fall off in my opinion. They were able to find Ted Ginn cheap, but they let him walk twice after productive runs. They drafted Kelvin Benjamin when they were in dire need of receivers, but he was not cut out to be a top guy. And instead of adding somebody who could be, they added a redundant (yet likely in the long term, better) talent in Devin Funchess. Curtis Samuel might turn out to be a good wide receiver, but he is not going to be a WR1 for some time even if that is the case.
There’s a new general manager in place who supposedly learned from his mistakes, and the Panthers are on the verge of letting two guys walk for high price tags. They need to make moves to add talent at the top of their receiving core if they want to compete with the top offenses in the NFC. All the teams I listed above have more than one guy who could be the most dangerous target on a given play. The Panthers still have Greg Olsen, sure, but for how long?
The high urgency approach isn’t always 100% effective, and coaching and scheming will always play a role. But look no further than the 2017-18 Super Bowl Champion Eagles if you want to see how quickly an offense can turn around with an investment at the top.
What are your thoughts, Panthers fans? Do you invest at the top or continue to try and find those gems at the bottom?