5 key takeaways from Carolina Panthers’ 2021 rookie minicamp
By Dean Jones
Playing it safe with Terrace Marshall Jr.
The Carolina Panthers went against team need when they picked up wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. at No. 59 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. Having a first-round graded talent fall into their laps in this situation was an opportunity they couldn’t pass up, but it’s clear the coaching staff is being ultra-cautious with the LSU product during his initial transition to the professional ranks.
Marshall Jr. was given a light workload during rookie minicamp, and with good reason. The wideout had an arthroscopic knee procedure in January that he still recovering from, with the player also suffering a broken foot in 2019 during the Tigers’ national championship campaign.
There is absolutely no point in the Panthers putting too much on Marshall Jr. at this stage of the offseason. They’ve seen for themselves what he can do if given the chance at the college level and he knows plenty about Joe Brady’s scheme having worked with the coordinator before to not miss a beat when he’s at 100 percent.
This familiarity could make all the difference, even if there isn’t much in the way of pressure on Marshall Jr. initially due to the abundance of talent at Carolina’s disposal.
Patience isn’t normally a virtue associated with the NFL. Marshall Jr. will be expected to make a contribution straight away providing there are no more complications on the injury front, so it’s just a case of building him up gradually before he sees the field in the preseason.