5 free-agent wide receivers the Panthers could sign in 2021
By Dean Jones
Cordarrelle Patterson
- 2020 team – Chicago Bears
Acquiring Cordarrelle Patterson would kill two birds with one stone for the Carolina Panthers. It would give them a useful weapon in the passing game and in running situations, but it potentially gives them a prominent weapon in the return game for good measure.
Patterson may have failed to live up to expectations as a wide receiver since the Minnesota Vikings selected him in the first round out of Tennessee. But his exploits returning kicks and punts have been nothing short of exceptional.
Having someone like Patterson opens up the playbook. So if the Panthers were to lose Curtis Samuel in free agency it would give them an established veteran who can run similar routes and be elusive in open space.
What also helps is that Patterson is a four-time All-Pro on special teams.
Although he has never eclipsed the 469 receiving yards gained during his rookie campaign in Minnesota, providing the price is right then Carolina might want to give the multi-dimensional weapon a close look in the event Samuel does end up departing for pastures new.
Whether they could match what others could pay for a veteran with a lot to offer is another matter entirely.