Carolina Panthers Coach Ron Rivera Eyeing WR Mike Wallace

Dec 16, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Mike Wallace (17) prior to the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera went on NFL on “NFL AM” live from the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Many think that the Panthers’ offseason plans revolve around getting weapons for quarterback Cam Newton. Many think they could draft a wide receiver in the April, others think they might take a more immediate approach by signing a free agent like Mike Wallace, Dwayne Bowe or Greg Jennings.

NFL.com’s Steve Wyche asked more directly if Wallace was on Rivera’s radar.

“You’re warm, but you know what’s going to be interesting is how things unfold once we get to March 12,” Rivera said. “There’s a lot of things that are out there that we have to really take into consideration. You know, we’ll see how things are going to affect us when we get to the 12th.”

As it is with seemingly every team in the NFL the Panthers are struggling with cap space. Reports though say they Panthers are in the process of trimming about $10 million off the payroll.

Regardless of what happens it wouldn’t be surprising for the Panthers to still look at taking a wide receiver in the draft. The draft is deep at that position, and a rookie wide receiver with limitless upside might be a deal at rookie prices. But at the same time, you might not get the quality one of the free agents would bring.