The Carolina Panthers begin their mandatory minicamp on Tuesday. And just before players descended onto the practice squad, general manager Dan Morgan made another minor move.
It's nothing more than a shot in the dark, but it could provide a window of opportunity for a physically imposing pass-catcher to catch the eye enough to stick around for the summer.
The team confirmed that wide receiver Malick Meiga has signed a deal with the club. Tight end Henrich Haarberg, who only joined the club recently, was waived to make room for the new arrival.
Malik Meiga has almost no time to make a positive Carolina Panthers impression
Meiga will be starting from the bottom. However, his size and athleticism could make things more interesting than fans think.
There weren't many opportunities for Meiga over his three years at Penn State. Eventually, he gave up hope and transferred to Coastal Carolina. It looked as if things were going to follow a similar pattern in 2024, but there were finally flashes in a competitive setting during his fifth-year senior campaign.
Meiga caught 19 passes for 209 receiving yards and one touchdown. Not exactly earth-shattering numbers, and it was no surprise to see him go undrafted. But at 6-foot-4 and 201 pounds, he's got the physical profile head coach Dave Canales typically looks for in his receivers.
Forcing his way into Carolina's plans will be difficult.
Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker are firmly cemented as the top two options. The Panthers are not ready to give up on Xavier Legette, and there is a significant amount of intrigue in third-round rookie Chris Brazzell II. Jimmy Horn Jr., David Moore, and Brycen Tremayne are also vying for places on the squad, so Meiga has his work cut out in no uncertain terms.
The Panthers are giving him a chance to impress. They obviously see something in the player that warrants further investigation, but what comes next is down to Meiga. He'll be the first to go if another decent option comes along, so catching the eye at Carolina's mandatory minicamp is the only way to improve his hopes.
Even that might not be enough, but it doesn't change the objective.
Meiga needs reps. He needs refinement as a route runner, and time is of the essence. It'll be a crash course in the coming days, and he must be ready for the challenges that come his way in the minicamp pressure cooker.
Nothing else will do.
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