Panthers: Special Teams kick return candidates

Fred Ross, WR

Originally signed as an undrafted free agent, Fred Ross spent all of last year on the injured reserve after an ankle injury sidelined him during the preseason. Already embraced in an uphill battle for a position on the final 53-man roster, Ross needs to find something that can give him an edge.

At Mississippi State, Ross never returned a kickoff but was the team’s featured punt return player. Blessed with speed and field vision, Ross averaged almost 10-yards per return and found the end zone once in his career.

If he can translate those skills to catching kickoffs instead of punts, he may provide some serious competition for the current front-runners.