Proehl believes in KB & Funchess, quite naturally, and I hold out hope too.

[top dawg]

Listening to some Huddlers, you'd think that Kelvin Benjamin and Devin Funchess are basically failures, but my thing is that neither has played enough at this level to even make any definitive statements about their status as professional failures or successes.

The fact is, as receivers transitioning from relatively little experience on the big stage in college, they have made some strides. Yes, Benjamin was a potential beast coming out, and Funchess wasn't even really a true wide receiver at all before he set foot on Carolina's practice fields. And, considering that the two have essentially just come off their second year in the NFL, I think that they should still be given a degree of benefit of doubt, if not outright grace, for some disappointing play during their Sophomore season in the pros. For all the talk about lack of effort, laziness, stopping on routes, etc., Benjamin still put up very respectable yardage, and that was coming off of a devastating knee injury. Moreover, Funchess, though healthy, arguably had a steeper learning curve than Benjamin and any other of our receivers, but, agree with it or not, he has flashed a modicum of solid route running, the ability to win contested catches, and has made his presence known down in the red zone. Both Benjamin and Funchess have shown ability to make some great, acrobatic catches, and I bet we'll see even more next season.

Ricky Proehl believes that they'll both be around for a while, and rightfully says that they are both learning to be pros, and, like it or not, it takes more than a couple of seasons for most.

http://m.panthers.com/s/30848/embeddedNewsPath?itemUri=-2115520147/12971069510156130151221310515

 

"They're the future of this franchise, and they need to push each other to become the best players they can be," Proehl said. "They both have huge upside. They are both so talented. This was a great learning experience, because they did struggle. We had a tough year, and as young kids, you have to learn and teach yourself how to be a pro. This is your job, and it's not always going to be easy. But this is what builds character and leadership.

"For all the struggles that Kelvin and Devin had, they are going to be better football players for it. I truly believe that."

 

Now, your average Huddler may not "believe that," but I think it at least makes sense to see what happens a third season before talking about cutting loses, trading for unknowns, or proclaiming, "Bust!"

Now this is not to say that we couldn't stand an every down threat, what I have coined a "route-ologist," with exceptional hands and at least lower 4.4 speed to help KB, Funch, and everyone else out, but I (the "wide receiver extremist") still believe that Carolina's twin towers can develop into what we think that they can be, and I am looking forward to it.

 

 

[Eazy-E]

Two receivers who both went through a sophomore slump and heading into year three together. (not counting KB's lost year due to injury) I am expecting good things to come. The entire team had a down year so it was hard to gauge a lot of players on the team. If Dave can fix the Oline and get Cam and Stew some help in the backfield, I believe Kelvin and Devin will be a very productive duo for years to come.

[LinvilleGorge]

I think Funchess is a bust. All that hype in training camp and a solid preseason and then he just disappeared when the games counted. Seems like a typical "practice player" who looks great in practice but can't perform when the lights come on. The exact opposite of a "gamer" who typically looks like trash in practice but shines the brightest on game day. Jake Delhomme is a great exple of a gamer. Anyone who went to training camp and had no idea about the Panthers would've picked Weinke as our starting QB after watching a practice, but Jake could do it on game day.

[AceBoogie]

I see the off-season build optimism mission is in full swing. 

[Doyle]

I wouldn't expect Preohl to take anything but the high road.   Thanks for everything Ricky.  

[top dawg]

17 minutes ago, AceBoogie said:

I see the off-season build optimism mission is in full swing. 

Ya damn right! 

[Saca312]

22 minutes ago, AceBoogie said:

I see the off-season build optimism mission is in full swing. 

I see you're still the pessimist, as per usual.

 

[XClown1986]

Kelvin is certainly a mismatch, but not reliable or consistent.

Funchess has shown flashes at times but the light hasn't come on for him.

These are just facts. To get better they have to dedicate themselves to the finer details of the position and of the athletic demands. This means diet, working out like a beast, studying WAYYY more film, picking the brains of veterans, working with Cam in the offseason, and BELIEVING that they are never good enough. It's easy to have the hunger on Sundays for 16 weeks. It's what you do the rest of the year that separates mediocre from good, and good from great. They aren't pros at this point.

[Cpt slay a ho]

I think Funchess is a bust. All that hype in training camp and a solid preseason and then he just disappeared when the games counted. Seems like a typical "practice player" who looks great in practice but can't perform when the lights come on. The exact opposite of a "gamer" who typically looks like trash in practice but shines the brightest on game day. Jake Delhomme is a great exple of a gamer. Anyone who went to training camp and had no idea about the Panthers would've picked Weinke as our starting QB after watching a practice, but Jake could do it on game day.

Unfortunately seems like the norm in the Rivera era, good practice players>on field performers, we've seen it time after time with guys like fua,armanti Edwards,nakumura ect


Sent from my iPhone using CarolinaHuddle

[Ship]

They still have time, especially Funchess. 

[CARuthless]

We'll still see a lot of Ginn next season; I hope.

[Davidson Deac II]

Fwiw, when certain aspects of the team don't perform as well as expected, its rarely ever just one thing. While I certainly think the receivers as a whole could have done better, I have to wonder a few things. How much better might Benjamin and Funchess have looked if a few other things had happened.  If the running game had functioned a little better forcing defenses to focus more on it, if the Oline had blocked a little better, allowing the receivers more time, if Cam had been a little more accurate, etc..., then we might be singing a different tune.

[j2sgam]

So if I asked you to name the Panthers WRs by catch/yards/TDs in their 1st 2 years...

25/407/1 & 27/317/0

73/1008/9 & 63/941/7

10/154/0 & 54/872/3

31/473/5 & 23/371/4

Yeah, stats can be skewed to say anything you want, but I'm looking forward to what these 2 junior year WRs can & will do... healthy o-line, Shula, no scheme, fug Shula, blah blah blah...

[pantherclaw]

3 years. 

That is the average for how long it takes for a receiver to come into their own in the NFL. 

 

I know that as fans, we don't have much patience, but we must. 

Part of the journey  is watching these guys develop right before our eyes.