Carolina Panthers need deep threat in shallow wide receiver pool

The Carolina Panthers already shallow receiving pool just got smaller by one…

Midway through the season Carolina Panthers interim general manager Marty Hurney and coach Ron Rivera elected to trade former first-round pick Kelvin Benjamin. The Panthers number one wide receiver and a favorite target of quarterback Cam Newton, both Benjamin and fellow receiver Devin Funchess possessed similar skill sets while providing no real deep threat on offense.

Since making the surprising move, Carolina’s offense has responded both in the running game and through the air in part thanks to the emergence of more speed on the field. The Panthers pairing Funchess with speedsters Damiere Byrd or Curtis Samuel forced defenses to at least respect the potential for a deep pass.

By not being able to stack the box against Carolina, the rushing attack led by Newton and running back Jonathan Stewart with rookie Christian McCaffrey has excelled from their previous pedestrian numbers through the first half of the season. On the outside, Byrd especially had begun to solidify his spot in the lineup after Samuel was lost for the season.

Since returning from a broken arm, Byrd has recorded at least one catch in every game including three touchdowns – two receiving and one on special teams. Byrd’s ability to contribute in both facets made him an extremely versatile playmaker for Carolina.

However, a recent leg injury prematurely ended Byrd’s season and now the Panthers are without either Samuel or Byrd. During the year Carolina has only played one such game without either of their speedsters on the field, a Week 12 contest with the New York Jets.

Panthers have now lost their deep threat twice this season. Only game without Samuel/Byrd:

Week 11 vs. NY Jets

Cam Newton: 11/28, 168 yards, 0 TDs. Panthers did not complete a pass to a WR aside from Devin Funchess, who had 7 for 108 yards.
— The Riot Report (@RRiotReport) December 26, 2017

Carolina struggled offensively against the Jets needing a special teams touchdown from Kaelin Clay to help secure the victory. Clay’s punt return sparked the Panthers who will need him to continue making impact plays in the future.

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Without Byrd or Samuel, Clay becomes the immediate focal point as a deep threat for Newton and the offense. Paired with Funchess, Russell Shepard and Brenton Bersin the wide receiver room is becoming increasingly sparse.

While all are expected to contribute moving forward, the Panthers could also elect to move McCaffrey into the slot more often. Having already secured a position in the playoffs, the Panthers could use this weekend’s season finale to test some different personnel groupings against the Falcons.

Newton says he is not panicking about the lack of household names lining up out wide for Carolina or the loss of Byrd. Needing a touchdown last week on their final offensive drive, Newton connected with Bersin, Clay and tight end Greg Olsen before eventually scoring himself.

Next: Panthers Playoff Possibilities

That trio will be relied upon heavily through the air if the Panthers hope to continue their momentum and win in the playoffs.

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