Insider projects Carolina Panthers depart from long-standing tradition at wide receiver

There's still one more preseason game left to play - and then it will be doomsday for hundreds of players around the NFL as rosters are trimmed from 90 players down to 53 for the regular season. The fateful day falls on August 26 this year, just eight days from now.

As for the Carolina Panthers, there are a few position battles yet to settle - but for the most part general manager Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales should know which players they want on their team Week 1. One potential exception to that rule is the wide receiver room, where they have typically only carried six players. However, there is a case to carry seven this year.

Joe Person at the Athletic has a new 53-man roster projection out this week, and he believes Carolina will carry seven receivers: Adam Thielen, Tetairoa McMillan, Xavier Legette, Jalen Coker, Jimmy Horn, Hunter Renfrow and David Moore.

The Athletic's Panthers WR projections

"Keeping seven receivers seems excessive, and it’s worth noting a lot can and will happen between now and the Aug. 26 roster cutdowns. I’m not sure how Dan Morgan and Canales will handle the bottom of the WR group. With his underneath route running, Renfrow brings a different element to the offense. But Canales has a history with Moore, who brings more special teams value than Renfrow..."

nfl — Jan 5, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) reacts with wide receiver David Moore (83) after running for a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Moore may have more special teams value, but the fact is he's not a very good pro receiver. Last season he had the worst average separation in the league by a wide margin - and he doesn't make up for it with great hands, body control or any other attribute you might want in an NFL receiver.

It's a mystery why Moore even made the roster last season, sparse though Carolina's wide receiver room might have been. While he has had some productive games, they tend to be because he gets an outsized portion of targets given his abilities - such as the Kansas City Chiefs game last season.

Renfrow is a far superior route runner and has demonstrated a ceiling that's dramatically higher than Moore's, even if he's unlikely to ever get back to the Pro Bowl level he played at in 2021. Jimmy Horn and Jalen Coker are young and inexperinced comapred to Moore but are far-superior athletes and we simply don't know how good they can be as of yet.

By comparison, we know what Moore can do - and it's pretty limited for a wideout at this level. It would be a crime to give him a roster spot over any of the young receivers on the team right now.

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