Kassidy Hill
INDIANAPOLISThere is a temptationafter a back half of a season in which your quarterback entrenched himself as the guy for the future, and when holding a Top 10 pickto find an offensive weapon in the draft. Someone who can run fast, go up high, and make your quarterback look good. While general manager Dan Morgan and the Carolina Panthers are at the NFL Combine this week, they will see plenty of options. They could even go that direction with the No. 8 pick overall or one of the eight picks in the first five rounds.
But it was hard not to hear Morgan's message on Tuesday in Indianapolis.
"I love our wide receiver room," Morgan responded when asked if the team was looking for a number one receiver. "I think withAdam Thielen, withJalen Coker, withXavier Legette, we have some guys in that room that we're really excited about. We have a young corps of guys who are still developing from a fundamental standpoint and a route-running standpoint. Then Thielen, obviously, he's old reliable in terms of he's savvy, he knows where to be, the quarterbacks can depend on him, so we feel good about that."
The wide receiver room underwent considerable change during the 2024 season. Some due to the natural aggregation of 17 games, some to injury, and some to moving on from Diontae Johnson after a mid-season trade. Dave Canales worked through these waves that come with being a head coach and play caller, all while also making quarterback changes and developingBryce Young.
The latter worked part and parcel with a young receiving groupand Thielengrowing alongside Young.
"Like we talked about (here at the Combine) even a year ago, it's like, this offense will look like Bryce Young. However, we got to do that, we're going to find what that is, and I'm going to throw a bunch of stuff at him and see what sticks and what starts to emerge," Canales recalled.
"And that certainly is not just about Bryce, you know; it's the emergence of Xavier, it's Thielen coming back to us and Bryce finding a way to throw to him, you know, it's Jalen Coker and what he brings to us,Ja'Tavion Sandersshowing up,Tommy Tremblecertainly, so it's all those guys, really fleshing it out that we could end the season saying, hey, that Atlanta game was pretty fun, right?
"That's a pretty good starting point for us in terms of the mix of how we use the core of our system, but then having some this's and that's to try to make first downs to try to make explosive plays."
Veteran receiver Adam Thielen flirted with retirement before ultimately electing to return for another season,citing Young's ascension and the upward trajectory of the teamas a whole as a significant factor in suiting up for another year. The three-time thousand-yard receiver was a comfort blanket and ever reliableor "old reliable" to quote Morganoption for Young the past two years. His return takes care of a huge need for the Panthers offense.
Last year's first-round receiver, Xavier Legette, underwent surgery on his foot after the season. Morgan called it a "little procedure" and added he believes Legette will be "running sooner than later."
Still, when in a room all week with some of the best receiver prospects in the draft, as well as free agency on the horizon, Morgan and Canales are going to evaluate the possibilities.
"You want continuity," Canales said, highlighting the tight end and receiver room in particular. "At the same time, there's an excitement of, let's look at free agency, let's look at the draft.
"We're open to trying to make any moves at every position, trying to find impact players, whether that's through development through the guys we have or free agency, the draft trades, you never know. We're always going to be open to try to find somebody that can really help us."
Added Morgan, "We have to definitely, it would be nice to just find as many playmakers as possible. So you know if we pinpoint a guy, whether in free agency or in the draft, then we wouldn't hesitate to either draft or sign him."
