Can the Panthers Replace DJ Moore's Production?
It was a difficult decision for the Carolina Panthers to give up wide receiver DJ Moore. He was their clear-cut No. 1 receiver and had been for quite some time. But to ensure they would acquire the top pick in the draft from the Chicago Bears, Moore had to be involved in the deal.
Once they felt like there was a chance of the trade being made, GM Scott Fitterer asked head coach Frank Reich about how they would be able to replace Moore's production. They went to the board and began writing down some ideas of how to do it.
Eventually, they landed on signing veteran free agents Adam Thielen, DJ Chark, and Damiere Byrd and then selected Jonathan Mingo in the second round of the draft. Is there a DJ Moore-type talent in the room? Maybe not, but it's still a group that Frank Reich really likes and feels comfortable with.
"I obviously wasn't here with DJ but I know he's a great player. I love our room. Anybody who's been around me knows we like to spread the ball around. And we feel like we can do that with this group that we have. Adam [Thielen] has come in and done a great job. Laviska [Shenault] has looked good. Terrace [Marshall], DJ [Chark], the whole crew. And I think the tight end room has exceeded expectations in many ways, so excited about the skill group."
The one guy everyone will have their eyes on this season is Terrace Marshall Jr., who made an incredibly contested catch during Thursday's practice. He has shown flashes of his ability here and there throughout the first two years of his career and this staff should be able to coach him up to his full potential.
"I think it's just a matter of him getting more play time and making those plays consistently," Reich said. "I think we saw that last year with the reps he got, the catches that he had, the big plays that he had. He shows that capacity to kind of be a big-play guy."
The wild card in the room is Laviska Shenault. He's been used in so many different ways both in Jacksonville and Carolina, but he's not been a key fixture of the offense just yet. This year, that could change.
"It'll be interesting. I think Laviska has been one of those guys out here that's looked good. We'll continue to investigate the different roles that he can play," stated Reich. "Even if we had this grandiose plan, which maybe we do, I won't reveal that here or now with all the different ways you can use him. But you look at guys like Deebo Samuel and stuff like that and you say, 'Well, can Laviska do some of that kind of stuff?' Of course, he can. So, we'll experiment with some of that stuff and some of it will get incorporated and some of it won't."
Again, Carolina may not have that "dude" at receiver but they have a solid mixture of guys that can do a bunch of different things. There may not be a 1,000-yard receiver on the roster but the overall depth of the position group is in the best shape it's been in a long time.
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