Will D.J. Moore sign his Panthers contract?
Carolina Panthers first-round pick, D.J. Moore, has yet to sign a contract with the team…
No wide receivers had been selected when the Carolina Panthers and general manager Marty Hurney were on the clock in last month’s NFL Draft, meaning the team could have anyone they wanted.
Alabama star receiver Calvin Ridley was available, Courtland Sutton from SMU was there but D.J. Moore from Maryland became the first one off the board when he was selected at No. 24 by the Panthers. Moore became the latest addition on an offense attempting to surround franchise quarterback Cam Newton with weapons.
Moore participated in the rookie weekend training camp but has yet to officially sign his contract with the team. Not unusual for guys picked in the first-round, as their contracts have an additional optional year attached but still not the best look.
Getting Moore under contract in a timely manner will help to alleviate any potential media buzz as training camp and OTAs approach later in the summer. His willingness to accept a role in a crowded wide receiver room should be interesting as the preseason transpires.
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Last year, the Panthers made Curtis Samuel a second-round selection at No. 40 overall, just 16 spots behind where Moore was picked up this year. Samuel was beginning to emerge as a threat prior to being sidelined.
Unfortunately, his injury was compounded by ligament damage forcing Carolina to again target wide receiver early in the NFL Draft. If healthy, Moore should provide stiff competition for Samuel and the other young receivers on the Panthers.
There is no current timetable for signing his rookie contract but team reporter Bill Voth says there is nothing to worry about until mid-July. It has been nearly a month since the draft, but that still leaves a rather large window of opportunity for the signing to occur.
In fact, less than half of the first-round choices from this year’s draft have agreed to terms with their respective teams.
Nothing to worry about yet, but the clock is ticking…