Panthers Receiving Corps Ranked No. 8 in the NFL
With the draft and free agency behind us, we now have a pretty good idea for how to project positional strengths and weaknesses for this upcoming season. Pro Football Focus ranked all 32 receiving corps in the NFL heading into 2020 which included tight ends and running backs.
The Carolina Panthers had a solid trio in the passing game in 2019 which included the talents of D.J. Moore, Curtis Samuel, and Christian McCaffrey to go along with veteran tight end Greg Olsen, who departed for the Seattle Seahawks in March. The Panthers were unable to take full advantage of their offensive firepower due to Cam Newton being limited to two games last season, with the inexperienced Kyle Allen taking his place where he played about as well as you’d expect from your typical backup quarterback.
With the addition of deep threat Robby Anderson in free agency, the Panthers are setting themselves up to have a lethal passing attack in a star-studded NFC South division. As a result, PFF ranked the Panthers as having the No.8 receiving corps in the NFL. However, Carolina’s receiving corp ranks just third in the NFC South. PFF slotted the New Orleans Saints at No.4, after adding Emmanuel Sanders to an already elite group in March, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were ranked at No.1 with a group consisting of newly acquired tight end Rob Gronkowski along with Pro Bowlers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
While the Saints and Buccaneers have quite a talented group of playmakers in the passing game, that takes nothing away from the crew that Carolina has on tap in 2020. Robby Anderson adds an entirely new dimension to the Panthers’ passing attack, giving the team a deep ball threat that compliments the skills of D.J. Moore, Curtis Samuel, and Christian McCaffrey. Anderson has 112 targets of 20+ yards since entering the league 2016, which ranks 5th in the NFL, according to PFF. This will be the most talented offense Anderson has been a part of throughout his career so expect Joe Brady to utilize Anderson as a tool to spread opponents’ defense, giving them a big-play threat on the back-end. Having yet another weapon alongside McCaffrey opens up more opportunities for McCaffrey himself along with Moore and Samuel, ultimately making Teddy Bridgewater’s job undoubtedly easier.
D.J. Moore is most certainly the Panthers best wideout, coming off a spectacular 2019 campaign where he hauled in 87 catches for 1,175 yards to go along with four scores. Christian McCaffrey is obviously the centerpiece of Carolina’s offense and according to PFF, he has been the most valuable running back in the NFL in 2017 in terms of PFF’s WAR (wins above replacement) largely due to his contributions in the passing game.
There are many questions for this new-look, young Panthers squad entering 2020 but one thing that’s certain is their receiving corps will be the team’s strong suit, and something they will cling to throughout the season.
How do you feel about the Panthers' receiving corps being ranked No. 8? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below and discuss it with fellow Panther fans!
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