CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- This from Carolina Panthers wide receiver Devin Funchess prior to the 2016 season: “We know we have the best [receiving] corps in the National Football League.’’
This is a good place to start for Part 2 of an 11-part roster analysis with a position that was supposed to be among the deepest and strongest on the team.
Next up: Wide receiver
2016 grade: C-plus. The return of No. 1 wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin (knee) to an offense that ranked No. 1 in the NFL in scoring in 2015 was supposed to make this unit better. That never happened. Benjamin didn’t match his 2014 rookie numbers. His 63 receptions for 941 yards did lead Carolina wide receivers, but that was good for only 51st in the NFL. He admittedly didn’t play to the level many expected. Benjamin wasn’t the reason the Panthers fell to 15th in scoring, but the receiving group in general fell well short of Funchess’ billing.
Under contract (2017 salary-cap number): Kelvin Benjamin ($2,438,625), Devin Funchess ($1,505,696), Damiere Byrd ($540,000).
Key free agents: Ted Ginn Jr., UFA; Philly Brown, RFA; Brenton Bersin, RFA; Laron Byrd, RFA.
The good: A fourth-and-2 catch for a first down in a late December game against Atlanta showed what Benjamin can be for the Panthers. He stiff-armed cornerback Jalen Collins so hard that Collins went flying backwards by five yards and then brushed off linebacker Deion Jones to pick up another five yards. Benjamin admitted he was trying to step up as a leader, something he fell short of in 2016. If he can build on that in 2017, he could be the weapon the Panthers hoped he would be this past season. If Benjamin and Funchess can respond the way they did down the stretch, the nucleus is there for a solid 1-2 punch.
The bad: Inconsistency. Whether it was dropped passes by Ted Ginn Jr. or bad routes by Funchess, the receivers and quarterback Cam Newton never consistently got into a good rhythm. Ginn and Brown have shown flashes, but this offense lacks a consistent playmaker with speed that can line up in the slot or outside. Ginn also is set to turn 32 in April.
The draft: Few positions are deeper, so if the Panthers aren’t comfortable with Benjamin and Funchess as a 1-2 punch there are options. It’s doubtful they will use the eighth overall pick on a receiver with more pressing needs, but adding Clemson’s Mike Williams to the mix would be a big upgrade (see College Football Playoff National Championship against Alabama). With at least 13 receivers rated between the first and third rounds, the Panthers will have options regardless.
Final thought: Adding a speed receiver that can play the slot and outside should be on the shopping list. Such a dynamic player would make the larger Benjamin (6-foot-5) and Funchess (6-4), as well as tight end Greg Olsen, even more dangerous. It would give Newton another option as the Panthers attempt to evolve the offense into a more traditional offense with less zone-read and more quick-hitting passes. Ginn and Brown have been adequate, but Newton needs more than adequate to return to MVP form.
