The Carolina Panthers want a No. 1 wide receiver. Could one of these four be the answer?
It’s no secret that the Carolina Panthers need to add some explosiveness to their offense.
But how? That’s still up in the air.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that the Panthers (0-4) have already “been active on the trade front this season” about a potential trade for a starting wide receiver. Any potential move would add depth to a position that features a by-committee approach, with Adam Thielen, DJ Chark and rookie Jonathan Mingo as the leading targets.
Head coach Frank Reich was asked about the reporting Wednesday and stuck to a familiar, season-long refrain.
“This is the same answer from me, all the time every year I’ve ever been in this position: Once we get in season, I just want the guys we got,” Reich told reporters before practice Wednesday. “I love the guys we got. We got the guys we need to win. That’s why, to me, it makes sense to have the division of the GM and the head coach.
“Scott (Fitterer) is always going to be working to do his job — he’s certainly going to involve me in those decisions if something comes up — but those aren’t things I’m going to him and initiating on.”
This said, if the Panthers are in the market for a receiver, here are four reasonable options they could pursue.
Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos
Jerry Jeudy is a name a bunch of Panthers fans have acquainted themselves with this week. The 2020 first-round pick out of Alabama has had a solid season in Denver — 11 receptions for 158 yards — but could in theory insert himself as the No. 1 target in Carolina. Courtland Sutton is serving the WR1 role for the Broncos right now.
The Broncos picked up Jeudy’s fifth year option in May. Rumors swirled about Jeudy being on the trading block this offseason, but head coach Sean Payton dismissed them, acknowledging that his team “received calls” about him and Sutton but that “we’re in the business of gathering talent right now.”
Marquise Brown, Arizona Cardinals
Marquise Brown, the 2019 first-round draft pick who arrived in Arizona in 2022, has had quite the season to date: 21 catches for 239 yards and two touchdowns. He’s approaching free agency in 2024 and would become the speedy deep threat the Panthers have been waiting on.
Davante Adams, Las Vegas Raiders
When you talk cream of the crop of the NFL’s receivers, you think of Davante Adams. The six-time Pro Bowler has already been targeted 50 times through four games — recording 33 catches for 397 yards and three touchdowns. His production has not stunted his frustration, though, which oozed out of an interview after the Raiders (1-3) fell to the Steelers on Monday Night Football in Week 3. (What he said, in part: “We’re not doing things the right way to establish a winning culture.”)
What could deter the Panthers making a move on Adams is his current contract status. He signed a five-year deal worth $141 million in March 2022. He’s also made it clear that he wants to win immediately, a wish the 0-4 Panthers might not be able to grant.
Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals
Tee Higgins is a bit banged up at the moment, but he is another potential target the Panthers could land on in an effort to upgrade at the position. The receiver has notched 12 receptions on 32 targets for 129 yards and two touchdowns this season. Higgins is in the final year of his rookie deal.
This story was originally published October 4, 2023 at 5:59 PM.
