Panthers’ Dave Canales thinks Xavier Legette can take ‘next step’ to becoming top WR
Dave Canales is bullish on his current group of wide receivers.
While the Carolina Panthers’ head coach wants to add competition to as many positions as possible this offseason, he is also confident in the current base of playmakers on his wideout depth chart. The peanut gallery on the outside won’t sway his optimism, especially in last year’s first-round pick, Xavier Legette.
“I love the guys that we have,” Canales said about the wide receiver room Tuesday at the NFL’s annual owners meeting in Palm Beach, Fla. “And I’m excited about this year.”
Legette is coming off an up and down rookie campaign. While he produced four receiving touchdowns, his production took a massive dip in the final stretch of the season. He battled through wrist and foot ailments throughout the season, and general manager Dan Morgan confirmed Legette underwent a procedure this offseason to clean out the latter injury.
“I think everything affects everyone,” Canales said about Legette’s injury woes. “He had the foot (injury), he’s a rookie, it’s a long season — I think it’s all those things. So, that’s a good challenge for Xavier this year. Just like taking one week at a time, focusing on this game, getting yourself out to the field healthy, and having a plan and process for the body going into it.”
Now, following a brief check in on the DK Metcalf trade sweepstakes — Metcalf was eventually sent from Seattle to Pittsburgh in a blockbuster deal — Canales is hoping that Legette can become a similar playmaker in time.
“I think we’ve got that guy, and I think it’s Xavier Legette,” Canales said. “And I think it’s up to the coaches to continue to develop him and let him grow at his pace. And so, for me, a great goal for Xavier Legette is let’s just take that next step. This is going to be his first offseason with us, from Phase 1 all way through, and I’d just love to see where that goes.
“You’ve got a guy that’s 6-2-and-a-half, 225 pounds, and runs 4.3 (40-yard dash speed), and he’s a playmaker and it’s on film. So, it’s like let’s start with that and take the next step with him.”
And that next step shouldn’t be particularly hard to handle, as Canales has already been impressed by the second-year playmaker’s work ethic.
“Xavier does a bunch of stuff,” Canales said. “He’s an overworker. And that’s a good thing — he’s wired the right way. He’s grinding, he’s in there, he’s doing stuff. You can’t get him out of the building. He’s there early and late, so he’s one of those guys. He’s doing the right things, and with the hard work, it’ll pay off for him.”
Here are 10 more takeaways from Canales’ Tuesday morning chat with local and national media:
▪ To put it plainly, Canales wasn’t fond of the defense’s “style” last year: While he clearly appreciates retained defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero’s defensive scheme, Canales didn’t like how Carolina played on defense in 2024. Canales often stresses the need for “effort strain” and constant attempts on the ball, and he didn’t feel like last year’s group effectively followed through with that two-pronged approach. He said he wasn’t pleased by some of the effort, and the Panthers attempted to rebuild the unit this summer with Canales’ coaching points in mind.
Safety Tre’von Moehrig, outside linebacker Patrick Jones, inside linebacker Christian Rozeboom and defensive linemen Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown are expected to change the style on defense. Canales is also eager to add more hard-nosed players in the draft.
▪ Reducing the menu could help Bryce Young cook: Canales said Young’s second-half performance was partially due to the team’s overall second-half performance last season. Young encouraged Canales with his growth within the offense. Canales said Young’s next step is mastering the offense as much as possible, so when the offense plays with tempo, they can use the quickness to their advantage, limiting defensive substitutions and the offensive play-calling menu.
Canales said most successful scramble plays come because the QB can anticipate the breakdowns in the defense the play is run. With a limited sheet to operate off of, Canales says that typically puts QBs in their comfort zones.
▪ “I think we’ve got our left tackle”: Canales assessed incumbent blindside blocker, Ikem Ekwonu, quite thoroughly when asked about his development. Canales noted Ekwonu is a dominant run blocker and a dependable pass protector. He did note, however, that even Ekwonu would admit that he needs to work on his hand placement, presumably for leverage and to avoid holding penalties.
▪ More of the same: Canales relishes the fact that he now has two comparable “war daddy” running backs to use in his offense. Chuba Hubbard and newly arrived Rico Dowdle, according to Canales, are both patient runners who are tough between the tackles. While some teams prefer a rotation of different styles, Canales likes the consistent complements he now has in place.
▪ Canales is high on young talent already on the team: Along with Young and Legette, Canales was quick to point out the youth of tight ends Tommy Tremble and Ja’Tavion Sanders and wideout Jalen Coker. He believes the continuity from Year 1 to Year 2 will help those players improve and develop within the system, much like his hopes for Legette and Young. Canales said last year’s turnaround came with buy-in from everyone on offense, from Hubbard to the offensive line to the tight ends to the wide receivers.
▪ Best available mantra runs deep in Carolina: As Morgan said last week, the team’s free agency spending spree on defense has set the squad up to select the best players on their draft board in April. Canales said that he relies heavily on special teams coordinator Tracy Smith when evaluating prospects in later rounds because of their potential for his group. When asked what Smith wants in a kicker, Canales was blunt: “Make field goals, hit the landing zone (on kickoffs).”
▪ Taylor Moton’s future seems static, but that’s not a bad thing: Canales called Moton the team’s “Steady Eddie” over the past few years. Canales really appreciated that Moton competed hard in the season-finale win over the Atlanta Falcons, and noted that he didn’t know of a lot of veterans who would have been eager to compete in a late-season game with little on the line.
▪ “Length can be forgiving”: Canales was asked about the debate on arm length and size in the NFL. Canales made the astute point that added length can widen the margin for error. If a wrong movement is made, it’s typically easier to recover because of reach and size.
▪ Canales isn’t a critic of the “tush push”: The Philadelphia Eagles’ patented play has been the talk of the annual meeting this week. Canales was asked about it, and he said there isn’t enough data to prove the play is dangerous, with player safety being waved around as a reason to remove the play by its detractors, namely the Green Bay Packers. Canales also said the Eagles, the defending Super Bowl champions, just coach it and execute it better than everyone else.
▪ The return of the returner: The Panthers agreed to terms on a one-year deal to re-sign running back/returner Raheem Blackshear on Tuesday. Blackshear was the team’s primary kick returner last season, and he now gives the Panthers some established presence in that role. Legette had been the projected top kick returner on the roster entering the weekend.
This story was originally published April 1, 2025 at 10:17 AM.
