The Carolina Panthers are in dire need of assistance at the wide receiver position, with 74-year-old Adam Thielen being the team’s best wide receiver by a significant margin. His limited athleticism restricted him to being a short-range target. The lack of outside threats hampered the Panthers’ offensive spacing and made their struggling offense more predictable as the season progressed.
Fortunately, the 2024 free agent pool of wide receivers seems promising and potentially deep, with a mix of players coming off their rookie deals and some veteran options that the Panthers can target to bolster their supporting cast around quarterback Bryce Young. Here are some of the top, most realistic options:
1. Tee Higgins (Bengals): Higgins appears to be the most natural fit, as the Panthers reportedly attempted to acquire him at the trade deadline. The Bengals may struggle to fit him into their future plans, with big salaries to pay for Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase. Higgins is a big-bodied receiver who topped 1,000 yards and six touchdowns in each of the two seasons before an injury-plagued 2023 campaign. At 25 years old, he is a good fit with the young Panthers roster.
2. Marquise Brown (Cardinals): The Cardinals were unable to agree on an extension with Brown before the season, making him a free agent in the spring. When healthy, he is an explosive threat who can function as a short-range receiver. He would bring much-needed speed and explosiveness to the Panthers offense.
3. Calvin Ridley (Jaguars): The Panthers ended up with DJ Moore instead of Calvin Ridley in the 2018 NFL Draft. With Moore now gone, the Panthers could fill that void with Ridley. He is a very good route runner who has topped 1,000 yards in each of his last two full seasons. The Jaguars may elect to allocate resources elsewhere and let Ridley walk, reducing the compensation they owe the Falcons in the trade in which they acquired him.
Bills player Gabe Davis could be a good fallback option for the Panthers, as he has the ability to stretch a defense and make plays, although he is an all-or-nothing type of player and should not be expected to be a top option. In terms of free agents, Mike Evans and Michael Pittman are unlikely but intriguing options, while Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, DeAndre Hopkins, and Diontae Johnson are more realistic possibilities. Other names like Odell Beckham Jr., Curtis Samuel, and Brandin Cooks could also be considered, but the Panthers will have to work hard to attract free agents. Regardless, fans are eager to see a new exciting wide receiver on the team next season.
