Mailbag: Could Panthers pursue top-tier receivers like DeAndre Hopkins, Davante Adams?
After a brief hiatus, the Panthers mailbag is back to answer Carolina fans’ questions.
With the Panthers in the middle of organized team activities, fans are curious about potential roster upgrades that could be made ahead of training camp.
Here are some of the questions The Observer recently received from social media:
From Andre Jackson on Twitter: Do you see (the Panthers) going after (DeAndre) Hopkins or (Davante) Adams or Hunter Renfrow?
Mike Kaye: Panthers GM Scott Fitterer likes to say that he leaves no stone unturned when it comes to major roster moves. If that’s actually the case, then, yes, Fitterer will likely temperature check on Hopkins and/or Adams.
Regarding Adams, the Raiders haven’t made him available for a trade to my knowledge. While Adams was recently quoted by The Ringer as saying that he didn’t see “eye-to-eye” with the Las Vegas front office about their offensive roster, the wideout doesn’t get to determine whether he’s shipped out of town or not.
If he were to be made available, the Raiders should command a top return for Adams. Just over a year ago, the Raiders traded first- and second-round picks to the Green Bay Packers for Adams, and then Las Vegas made the wideout the top paid player at his position. The asking price for Adams should be at least a first-round pick in 2024. The Panthers don’t own a 2024 first-round pick because of the blockbuster trade with the Bears for the No. 1 overall pick.
Hopkins was formally released by the Arizona Cardinals on Tuesday. His contractual freedom makes him a much more likely option for the Panthers than Adams. However, Hopkins’ ability to pick his next landing spot gives him a ton of leverage, especially when it comes to his asking price.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler has listed the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs as Hopkins’ most likely landing spots. Hopkins recently told the “I Am Athlete” podcast that he was past the point of playing with young quarterbacks.. Hopkins also listed Josh Allen of the Bills and Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs as two of the four quarterbacks — including Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles and Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens — he’d like to play with.
Hopkins, who turns 31 next month, is a Clemson, South Carolina, native. He played at Clemson and his cousin, defensive end DeShawn Williams, plays for the Panthers. But those local ties might not be enough to lure him to Carolina because of where the team is at from a contention standpoint.
As mentioned previously, Hopkins said he doesn’t want to play with a young quarterback. Well, the Panthers are in the midst of preparing rookie Bryce Young to start under center this season. Hopkins also seems to want to get paid and play for a contender. The Panthers have refused to pay top dollar for a second edge rusher — frankly, a more pressing need than wideout — so it’s hard to see them handing out big money to an offensive skill player. Carolina is also going through an on-the-fly rebuild, and the new staff is redesigning its entire defensive front.
While the Panthers might contend for the NFC South, on paper, they don’t project as major Super Bowl contenders in Year 1 of the Frank Reich era.
There’s also the consideration of other variables to contend with. The Panthers paid Adam Thielen handsomely (three years for $25 million) to lead the receiver room. They also gave DJ Chark $5 million on a one-year deal before drafting Jonathan Mingo in the second round. And by the way, they still have Terrace Marshall, who is seemingly on the cusp of a breakout campaign. Although none of the those four players should hinder the Panthers from pursuing Hopkins, it’d be fair to wonder if the veteran wideout would feel mitigated by the amount of investment already placed within the group.
Hopkins, at his best, is a bulk-catch weapon. Last season, for example, he only played in nine games but was targeted 96 times for 64 catches for 717 yards and three touchdowns. By comparison, Reich’s last X receiver, Michael Pittman, received 129 targets over 17 games in 2021 during the head coach’s final full season in Indianapolis.
Reich believes in spreading the ball around because it makes his offense more effective.
Regarding Renfrow — who also plays for the Raiders — he’s a talented receiver, but not on the level of Adams or Hopkins. On paper, one could argue he’s a slight upgrade over the likes of Thielen and Chark in the slot and at the Z position, respectively. However, that upgrade isn’t big enough to mitigate the growth of Marshall or Mingo or deplete draft asset inventory.
From Reid on Twitter: Who will leave the season higher in the receiving pecking order: Terrace Marshall or Jonathan Mingo?
MK: While Mingo and Marshall are likely to compete for the same top job in training camp, I think they will eventually separate into different roles as the season progresses. If one wins a starting job, the other will probably be more impacted by Chark during the season than anyone else.
Chark is coming off ankle surgery and has a long history of injuries. He chose to do a “prove-it” deal with the Panthers in order to make more money in the future by showing he can stay healthy. However, if history repeats itself, Chark could be sidelined for a bit, leaving room for one of the two young receivers to step up.
The Panthers should want Mingo and Marshall in the lineup together as much as possible. They are young, cheap and have long-term deals. Although Chark was an important target in free agency, Mingo’s second-round selection showed that Carolina knew it needed more talent at the position.
Ultimately, Mingo and Marshall should get a leg up on Chark if he struggles with production or injuries this season because of their long-term investment. The NFL is all about availability and upside, and if Chark wanes in either category, the Panthers should welcome in the youth movement.
Having said all of that, Marshall appears to primed for a breakout campaign after spending two inconsistent seasons in the NFL. The 2021 second-round pick should out-snap and out-produce his rookie counterpart in 2023, as long as Marshall stays healthy.
From Adam on Twitter: Any word about an H-back in this coming offense?
That’s an interesting question because Reich and offensive coordinator Thomas Brown have acknowledged that the Panthers’ offensive playbook is a mixed concoction of their respective philosophies.
Both Reich and Brown have plenty of experience with multiple-tight end looks. Reich, in particular, has used an H-back — traditionally the F tight end — in his offense pretty regularly, with Trey Burton being a logical example in 2020. Brown, who worked with the Los Angeles Rams’ tight ends group last year, should understand that using different body types and skill sets at the position can lead to play-calling advantages.
If the Panthers were to use an H-back (not to be confused with a halfback or a fullback), Tommy Tremble and Giovanni Ricci would be ideal fits for the position. However, given that Hayden Hurst and Ian Thomas are likely to man the majority of the 12 personnel looks (1 RB, 2 TE, 2 WRs), it’s unclear how much Tremble or Ricci would be used at the H-back position.
Also, fullback enthusiasts out there, you shouldn’t hold your breath on 21 personnel (2 RBs, 1 TE, 2 WRs), either. During his first four years in Indianapolis, Reich used two-man backfields only 4% (2018), 3% (2019), 1% (2020) and 6% (2021) of the time, respectively, according to Sharp Football. Brown, who was with the Rams from 2020 to 2022, used a two-back set four total times during his two years as a running backs coach.
Reich and Brown figure to focus heavily on 11 personnel in their new offense. They want to spread out the defense and set up yards-after-catch opportunities. If they were to use an H-back, those plays would probably take a backseat in the passing game.
This story was originally published May 31, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
