5 difficult decisions facing Carolina Panthers GM Dan Morgan in 2024
By Luke Gray
Carolina Panthers must find a WR1 for Bryce Young
Going into the 2023 season, it was expected that the Carolina Panthers wide receiver room would be at the bottom of the league. Unfortunately for Bryce Young, that played out dismally. Outside of Adam Thielen - who performed admirably on his way to his first 1,000-yard receiving season since 2018 - the unit was an immense disappointment.
D.J. Chark scrapped his way over 500 receiving yards but struggled throughout the season with some critical drops. Before his rookie season was curtailed by a foot injury, Jonathan Mingo did little to justify his top-40 selection. It’s tough to argue that outside of Thielen, the receiver that flashed most was Ihmir Smith-Marsette.
It must be a priority of Dan Morgan to find Young a genuine WR1 moving forward. With a litany of options in both free agency and the draft, the Panthers have plenty of options.
This has been touted as a loaded class at the wide receiver position with talent expected to be available in the later rounds. The Panthers should be able to find a difference-maker or two despite not having a first-round pick as it stands.
After a lackluster free agency group at wide receiver in 2023, things couldn't be any more different this year. The likes of Calvin Ridley, Micheal Pittman Jr., and Tee Higgins are among those who could hit the open market. There’s also the tantalizing prospect of Mike Evans in process blue.
Could Evans be convinced to follow his former offensive coordinator to Carolina and become the immediate No. 1 option for Young? Stranger things have happened.