3 reasons the Carolina Panthers traded for Laviska Shenault Jr.

Carolina Panthers had inside knowledge

Some parts of Laviska Shenault Jr.’s tape since arriving in the NFL are concerning. But this trade further highlights the increasing influence of Ben McAdoo in the team’s recruitment process.

McAdoo wasted no time stamping his mark on the Carolina Panthers. He was a big reason why Ian Thomas got re-signed and also banged the table hard for quarterback Matt Corral, who will miss his rookie campaign after going down with a serious foot injury during their preseason Week 2 game against the New England Patriots.

Carolina’s offensive coordinator got to see Shenault plenty on the Jacksonville Jaguars staff as a rookie. The Colorado product also looks like a good scheme fit within McAdoo’s syatem if everything goes well from the outset.

The former New York Giants head coach likes to get the football out quickly and into the hands of his playmakers. For all Shenault’s faults, there is a lot to like about his potential to create yards after the catch when the situation dictates.

There should also be a lot of room for Shenault to work in Carolina. D.J. Moore, Robbie Anderson, Christian McCaffrey, and maybe even Shi Smith will accumulate plenty of attention from opposing defenses, which might open things up for a player who now has a big chip on his shoulder.

Carolina sees something in Shenault. And given C.J. Henderson’s encouraging development with better coaching, it might work out better than some originally anticipate.