4 high-risk free agents the Carolina Panthers could target in 2023

Carolina Panthers could sign Allen Lazard

While there was a lot to like about the way D.J. Moore and Terrace Marshall Jr. worked as an outside wide receiving tandem over the second half of 2022, the Carolina Panthers need additional options to take the next step. Something that bears more significance when one considers how much head coach Frank Reich relies on getting the football downfield.

Again, going down the draft route is the cheapest option. But if the Panthers want to legitimately become an NFC South powerhouse, then landing a free agent cannot be dismissed entirely.

Much will depend on what Aaron Rodgers decides as he heads off into his darkness retreat, but Allen Lazard is someone that might hit the open market. The physically imposing wideout enjoyed a career year with the Green Bay Packers in 2021, but his production in the years prior is more befitting of a rotational piece rather than a true No. 1 option.

Lazard has the physical tools to evolve in the coming years. However, one also has to ask how much of his production last season was down to Rodgers or the player’s own development.

Considering how much money Lazard is likely to command on the open market, it’s a major gamble if the Panthers went in this direction. One that could also hinder Marshall’s growth after coming of age without Matt Rhule holding him back in 2022.