With Kelvin Benjamin traded, multiple players jockey for position as the top receiver for Cam Newton in the Carolina Panthers offense.
Coming into this season, many were expecting Kelvin Benjamin to be the leading receiver for the Carolina Panthers. With Benjamin and a number of other offensive weapons joining Cam Newton, it seemed like the Panthers were poised to have a big season moving the ball.
Those plans suddenly changed when Kelvin Benjamin was jettisoned to the Buffalo Bills a few weeks ago. Now, the team is looking for a player to step up as Newton’s top target and at least one thing is clear, the options are plentiful.
Eight games into the year, Benjamin was having a decent 2017. He had 32 receptions for 475 yards but a relatively low two touchdowns. In one game for the Bills he’s added to that total with three receptions for 42 additional yards. While those numbers do not jump off the page, some are still wondering if the production was the catalyst that saw Benjamin get traded.
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Instead of mulling those questions over, Panthers players, fans and pundits alike are forced to look to the future and how the receiving core will respond. Devin Funchess seems to be the first name to jump off the page to benefit from Benjamin’s absence. In the two games since the trade, Funchess has seen his two highest total yard outings this season with 86 yards against the Atlanta Falcons and 92 against the Miami Dolphins. While his targets have remained about the same, it will be interesting to see if he continues to gain a substantial amount of yards without Benjamin on the same field.
The next individual expected to become a favorite target of Newton is Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey leads the team in receptions and is in second position with 433 yards. His ability to catch the ball out of the backfield makes this rookie a viable threat; as he’s fitting in exactly how many expected once he was drafted earlier this year.
Ed Dickson has stepped in for the injured Greg Olsen. He’s on pace to have his most productive year since 2011 and can even beat out those numbers with so many games left to play. Filling in for Olsen has created an important opportunity for Dickson because the tight end position was key for much of the success that the Panthers experienced in recent years. He’s filled in well so far and without Benjamin on the field he should see an increase in chances to make important plays.
Then there are the rest of the receivers currently on the Panthers roster. Russell Shepard and Curtis Samuel continue to stand in when the Panthers look to stretch the field and overload opposing defensive backfields. Neither one has put together any major contributions on the field, but they give Newton additionally insurance and can be seen as contenders for future starting positions.
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Benjamin has the abilities to be a star wide receiver in this league. 2017 wasn’t shaping up to be another breakout year like those in recent memory, which created the space for the Panthers to move him in a trade. That opening has created a wealth of opportunity within the Panthers receiving game and this season they have the talent to see many capitalize on the moment.