Will the Panthers Bring Back Moose?

Amid the media bumbling on the future and status of Julius Peppers, another question looms ahead: What is Carolina’s plan on the future of wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad?

We know that one of the Carolina Panthers’ needs on draft day is a solid No. 2 receiving option, among a couple other areas.

We also heard current No. 1 wideout Steve Smith say that with the right draft pick or free agent acquisition, he would be open to playing the No. 2 position if the person can play better than him.

That’s a tall order to fill.

Supposing the Panthers aren’t able to fill their need at the second receiver position, they do have the option to bring back longtime veteran receiver.

Muhammad, who will turn 37 in May, had a respectable season–53 receptions for 581 yards and a touchdown–and for the right price, the Panthers could bring him back to add depth to the position, or to start again given the current roster depth still has another season to make progress on their bodies of work.

As for Dwayne Jarrett, one has to wonder if the Panthers will keep him or let him go in some way during the offseason.

Jarrett did turn in a good performance in the season home finale against the New Orleans Saints after being benched for three weeks. Granted, it was against the Saints’ backup defense.

If Matt Moore is allowed the starting quarterback position, a part of me would like to see Jarrett back for another year to see if he can progress faster and easier with Moore. If so, he potentially could be the eventual successor to Muhammad.

Muhammad is certainly not a bad option to have as a receiver, and he still wants to be on the team, even if in a limited capacity.

Inevitably, time will tell what the Panthers want to do. Until then, we’ll be here waiting…Or at least I’ll be here.