Carolina Panthers: Don’t Forget About Kelvin Benjamin
By Nick Ziegler
It was fantastic season for the Carolina Panthers, as after sneaking into the playoffs last season, the Panthers were one of the best teams in 2015.
Editor’s Note: This piece was actually written before the Super Bowl, but we decided to run it after the “Big Game”. Yes, the Panthers lost, but they are still on the rise, especially with Kelvin Benjamin ready to return next season.
Coming into the 2015 season, we all expected the Panthers to once again have a very good defense with Pro Bowl linebacker Luke Kuechly leading the defensive unit. The defense has lived up to their expectations this season, but the real question was what would the Panthers’ offense look like?
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Up until the 2013 season, Steve Smith Sr. was the focal point of the Panthers’ offense, but in 2014, the Panthers no longer had Smith at wide receiver. The Panthers decided to get younger at the wide receiver position, and the player that headlined the major change at wide receiver was Kelvin Benjamin.
In the 2014 NFL Draft, the Panthers selected Benjamin with the 28th overall pick in the first round, and that selection turned out to be a steal. In a draft class, that was loaded with great wide receivers, Benjamin was the fifth wide receiver taken in the first round behind Sammy Watkins, Mike Evans, Odell Beckham Jr., and Brandin Cooks. In his rookie season, Benjamin totaled 73 receptions, 1,008 receiving yards, nine receiving touchdowns, and a 13.8 yards per reception average.
Quarterback Cam Newton and Benjamin had instant chemistry last season, and the young duo had high hopes together coming into the 2015 season.
The Panthers knew that Newton and Benjamin wouldn’t be able to do it all in 2015, so they used their second round pick in the 2015 on wide receiver Devin Funchess from the University of Michigan.
Funchess didn’t have quite the impact that Benjamin did in his rookie season, as he totaled 31 receptions, 473 receiving yards, and five receiving touchdowns. It was a solid rookie season for Funchess, as he was the one of the members of a solid supporting cast at the wide receiver position along with Corey Brown and Jerricho Cotchery.
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The two main weapons in the Panthers’ passing offense was Greg Olsen and shockingly Ted Ginn Jr.
Olsen has been one of the best tight ends in football for a few years now, but the sudden breakout year for Ginn was a shocking development for the Panthers, but also is one of the big reasons why their offense has been successful this season.
The Panthers ranked 1st in the NFL in points scored per game, as they averaged 31.6 points per game. The 10-point jump in points per game is outstanding and unheard of in the NFL and makes a strong case for why Newton should be the MVP this season.
Newton has taken the next step into an elite quarterback in the NFL, and he has done it in a season that he has been without his best wide receiver all season. It is scary to look ahead on how good the Panthers’ offense may look next season with a healthy Benjamin catching passes from Newton.
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Benjamin proved in his rookie season that he can be one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, and in 2016, he may be playing to help the Panthers win a Super Bowl in 2016.