[vc_row no_margin=”true”][vc_column width=”1/1″]
[gap size=”.313em”]
Less than a month before the start of a new season, the Carolina Panthers suffered what could be their biggest loss of 2015.
When receiver Kelvin Benjamin was carted off the field Wednesday morning, he left behind a major void. While the Panthers improved the depth in their receiving corps this offseason, no one on the roster can do what the 6-foot-5 Benjamin does.
“Kelvin Benjamin is the number one receiver. He’s the number one go-to-guy on the offense, so to lose a guy like that in any offense or scheme is going to be big,” cornerback Josh Norman said.
CURRENT CHOICES
With Benjamin ruled out for the season, 10 receivers remain on the roster:
- Brenton Bersin
- Jarrett Boykin
- Corey Brown
- Mike Brown
- Paul Browning
- Damiere Byrd
- Avius Capers
- Jerricho Cotchery
- Devin Funchess
- Ted Ginn
Look down the list and you see guys like Bersin and Boykin, who “did some nice things” Wednesday. Then there’s Corey Brown and Ginn, who provide speed but not the numbers of a No. 1 wideout.
Sure, Ginn posted the most productive season of his career in 2013, catching a career-high five touchdowns from Cam Newton. But in Arizona last year, he caught just 14 passes before he was released. For what it’s worth, Ginn has been the most exciting player in camp outside of Benjamin and Newton, shining in matchups against Norman.
Funchess, Carolina’s second-round pick, could grow into a No. 1 role one day, but he’s far from the dominant player Benjamin was as a rookie this time last year.
“Funchess is coming up, and we just need to get on him, as a leader in the room and tell him how big his role can be now,” Ginn said.
“Not having your number one guy in practice can hurt you a little bit, but I believe that we have the guys behind him that can step up and take whatever we need to do to fill this void.”
That void is what Benjamin did in 2014:
- Set Carolina rookie records with 73 receptions, 1,008 receiving yards and nine receiving touchdowns
- Ranked third among all NFL rookie receivers in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns
- Fifty-one of his 73 receptions went for first downs or touchdowns
OTHER OPTIONS
While the Panthers can search for free agent help, as you’d expect this time of year, there’s not much dazzling talent on the market. The most notable names are aging veterans Reggie Wayne, Santana Moss and Wes Welker, who are all past their prime and not nearly as physical as Benjamin.
Available free agent receivers, via Spotrac
So there’s no savior on the street. The only player who can fill the void left by Benjamin is Benjamin.
It’s a situation where the NFL cliché “no one is coming to save us” fits perfectly. The best case scenario now is for the current wideouts to pick up as much of the offensive production as possible.
“This is the NFL. We’re in a league where if a man goes down, a man has to step up,” Ginn said.
“We just have to go out and play. That’s all we can do. I believe we have the guys in the room that can catch the balls and get open and pick up some of the slack that we’ll have to pick up.”[line][vc_raw_html]
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
[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Marcus lucus
or trade for Duron Carter….hmm
I guess if you’re the Panthers you have to kick the tires on a few of these veteran players, but I think they should go with who they have. There’s real talent on this roster. The popular opinion among the talking heads is that it’s Benjamin or nothing, but coached and schemed properly, these guys could make it work.
A lot has to go right, but if the protection can hold up this team can use speedy receivers to open the running game and maybe throw some two TE sets in there. I think they have an at least decent offense. Still going to have to rely on the D and play field position and time of possession but wasn’t that the plan all along?
You know, what’s wrong with having two speed guys as receivers? The Steelers do it Antonio Brown and #11 (can’t remember his name). Corey Brown says he’s been working on his routes, use these last three preseason games to prove that. Accuracy can’t be THAT big a problem when Newton had no problem finding Smith Sr. or Brandon Lafell. Sure some of his passes were high and some were still high with Benjamin but we know he can pass under pressure and on the move when not throwing off his back foot. Ted Ginn did quite well for Carolina in our game plan when he was here and he didn’t even see the field much, so what ever he did in Arizona is null and void. My point is, the Panthers can make it work, it’s all up to Shula and his play calling. We might have to go back to two tight end sets.
Hurting Bejamin hurts; however we have good depth at that position. Does Shula have the OC savvy to utilize the other receivers we have to limit the loss of Benjamin.