It's hard to overstate just how important this upcoming preparation period before the new season is for Xavier Legette. The Carolina Panthers remain confident in his abilities, but he's done almost nothing on the field to justify that confidence. If the same trend continues, the wide receiver's status will look shaky at best.
And one team insider laid down the gauntlet for Legette to deliver, starting at organized team activities.
The Panthers thought enough of Legette to trade into the first round for the luxury of a fifth-year option. He's got all the athletic tools imaginable, but consistency remains a major problem. The South Carolina product keeps getting the benefit of the doubt, but now is the time to fulfill his promise.
Carolina Panthers insider raises the stakes for Xavier Legette before OTAs
Joe Person of The Athletic outlined just how high the stakes are for Legette. The introduction of third-round pick Chris Brazzell II and free-agent signing John Metchie III means he faces a fight for the No. 3 role behind Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker. Unless he produces the goods, the insider thought Carolina could put him on the trade block before the deadline.
"Now it’s fair to question whether [Xavier] Legette can hold on to the WR3 spot after [Dan] Morgan selected Tennessee wideout Chris Brazzell in the third round and took a flier on John Metchie [III], who had a 1,100-yard receiving season with Bryce Young at Alabama in 2021 but has yet to find his footing in the NFL.
"The eternally optimistic [Dave] Canales still seems bullish on Legette figuring things out, but a disappointing start to the season could land him on the trading block by October."
This is a fair assessment. Head coach Dave Canales and general manager Dan Morgan have often proclaimed their faith in Legette. But there will come a time when they will have to give up and attempt to extract some value in return.
It happened with Jonathan Mingo. It can happen to Legette.
Mingo was a second-round pick with some outstanding physical traits. He often flashed in the summer, but rarely brought this through into a game-day environment in the regular season. Eventually, the Panthers had seen enough, trading him to the Dallas Cowboys.
This represents a familiar trajectory to Legette. He's a first-rounder, albeit the No. 32 pick, but the poor performance levels are similar through the first two years of his professional career. The leash might be longer, but patience will run out eventually.
Legette has been working hard to improve his craft away from the team. The margin for error is completely gone, so nothing but firm focus and maximizing every opportunity will do.
Anything less, and Legette will have a massive problem on his hands.
Add us as a preferred source on Google