What exactly do the Carolina Panthers have at WR in 2021?
By Dean Jones
What exactly do the Carolina Panthers have within their enormously talented wide receiver room heading into the 2021 season?
Although the Carolina Panthers lost the services of Curtis Samuel in free agency when he signed for the Washington Football Team, one could argue their wide receiver room has never looked stronger. There is an abundance of weapons for offensive coordinator Joe Brady to call upon, which also puts quarterback Sam Darnold in the best possible position to thrive following his trade from the New York Jets.
This is a critical campaign for the Panthers, who showed some signs of life in 2020 despite finishing with a 5-11 record for the second season in succession. Head coach Matt Rhule was not blessed with the easiest of situations that were only enhanced by COVID-19 restrictions, but with things returning to some semblance of normality this time around, much more is expected.
Carolina looks to have a defense that is capable of making some real noise. If the offense lives up to their end of the bargain, then a winning record could be achievable for the first time since 2017.
Much will depend on the offensive line protecting Darnold well and the health of Christian McCaffrey. But the coaching staff can be safe in the knowledge they have playmakers everywhere at wide receiver that should be able to make a significant difference in 2021 and possibly beyond.
Samuel’s loss will be a blow considering the strides made by the former Ohio State star last season. He went over 1,000 all-purpose yards for the first time to get his big-money move elsewhere, but it represents a real opportunity for others to step in and make their own mark.
With this in mind, we took an in-depth look at just what the Panthers have at wideout and how they can help in 2021.