Josh Norris believes WR 3 is a big need this offseason

[BrianS]

4 minutes ago, kungfoodude said:

Well, one of the biggest advantages of a typical slot receiver is being able to get separation on that nickel guy and beat people deep. Other than that, yeah, having that crazy catch percentage is huge. 

I 100% agree on the sustainability because his contract year was an outlier. You ALWAYS have to be suspicious of those guys. We don't get to see him day in and day out in practice or with the team to know whether that is the product of really finally maturing(and for him staying healthy) or this was just the knowledge that this was going to be the year he had to put it all together to get his big payday. 

Based on last year alone, Samuel was one of the best slot guys in the in the NFL. However, that hasn't been the case for his entire career. Losing 2020 Curtis Samuel will absolutely hurt us. The question will be if 2020 Curtis Samuel will be what we would see moving forward. He'll be an interesting guy to follow at his next team to see if he is a budding star or not. 

IMO, CMC is an extra element for us but he creates a different kind of mismatch than a slot guy does. I would like to try and replace Samuel if necessary. 

We think similarly, but not exactly the same.  I value "win fast" in a slot receiver way more than "win deep".  I want to see quick and consistent separation from the slot, you like that too, but want to add in deep threat where I want to see high catch rates.  Interesting.  Appreciate the insight.

[kungfoodude]

52 minutes ago, OldhamA said:

He'd have to lose some muscle mass, but he could absolutely be a deep threat at WR.

He runs away from teams.

I know people like to push this narrative but I don't think they realize how little the likelihood of that being the case is. 

It's been posted here before but his receiving production and advanced stats/metrics had him rated quite lowly when was in similar situations to most slot receivers. Not to mention, he is an elite runner, so you immediately take away his best attribute as a player by moving him there. 

He's arguably the best RB in the NFL, so arbitrarily moving him to slot WR is kind of ridiculous. Also, I don't think there is any precedent for such a move, for rather obvious reasons. If I am forgetting some case of a starting caliber NFL RB suddenly converting to a WR while they are in the league, I can't recall it. If you know of one, I'd be interested to research them.

[kungfoodude]

4 minutes ago, BrianS said:

We think similarly, but not exactly the same.  I value "win fast" in a slot receiver way more than "win deep".  I want to see quick and consistent separation from the slot, you like that too, but want to add in deep threat where I want to see high catch rates.  Interesting.  Appreciate the insight.

Yeah but that deep separation is a product of winning at the line, as well. That's ONE reason why Samuel was a top 25 rated guy in the NFL last year in separation. 

Remember that CMC creates a whole different set of mismatches than Samuel. Samuel is going to be seeing a nickel guy or a CB most of the time, whereas CMC is going to largely facing safeties or linebackers to create his mismatches. 

With two very good WR's already in Anderson and Moore, adding a third weapon like Samuel AND an elite dual purpose RB like CMC really creates a scenario where you really have to pick your poison. Add a good QB and/or a competent offensive line and you have the makings of an almost unstoppable offense. 

[Mr. Scot]

I wouldn't see it as a top priority (quarterback and offensive line take those spots) but it's valid to point out that the kind of offense we run looks a lot better when you've got a good third receiver.

[top dawg]

2 hours ago, Panthercougar68 said:

Keep sleeping on Omar Bayless...you’ll see

He's a different type of receiver than Samuel, but that doesn't mean that he can't make his lunch money in the slot. I think he'll be a good depth piece at least.

[LinvilleGorge]

There are going to be a lot of salary cap casualties this year and the draft is loaded with good looking mid-round slot WR prospects. Don't get me wrong, I'd live to hang onto Samuel but in a hard cap league given our roster situation, it makes all the sense in the world to let him walk.

[Icege]

3 minutes ago, LinvilleGorge said:

There are going to be a lot of salary cap casualties this year and the draft is loaded with good looking mid-round slot WR prospects. Don't get me wrong, I'd live to hang onto Samuel but in a hard cap league given our roster situation, it makes all the sense in the world to let him walk.

This.

With the current crop of free agents, incoming promising draft class, and reduced cap due to COVID it is an unwise gamble on his part imo.

But hey, maybe a team looks at his age and tell themselves the cap is going to go back up. I just don't see that being the Panthers with EVERYTHING else going on with the offense.

Edited March 12, 2021 by Icege

[Actionman0z]

Sometimes the answer is on the roster. Omar Bayliss

[LinvilleGorge]

I'm rooting for Bayless and it'll be awesome if he can become a contributor for us, but I've seen time and time again when training camp superstars fail to ever deliver on the field.

[Mr. Scot]

2 minutes ago, LinvilleGorge said:

I'm rooting for Bayless and it'll be awesome if he can become a contributor for us, but I've seen time and time again when training camp superstars fail to ever deliver on the field.

You watch. David Gettis will be great this year

[LinvilleGorge]

10 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

You watch. David Gettis will be great this year

He'll struggle to outshine Brandon "Swole Bones" Williams.

[Mr. Scot]

2 minutes ago, LinvilleGorge said:

He'll struggle to outshine Brandon "Swole Bones" Williams.

You could probably start a whole separate thread just to name camp superstars that never lived up to the hype.

Edited March 12, 2021 by Mr. Scot

[BrianS]

1 hour ago, kungfoodude said:

Yeah but that deep separation is a product of winning at the line, as well. That's ONE reason why Samuel was a top 25 rated guy in the NFL last year in separation. 

Remember that CMC creates a whole different set of mismatches than Samuel. Samuel is going to be seeing a nickel guy or a CB most of the time, whereas CMC is going to largely facing safeties or linebackers to create his mismatches. 

With two very good WR's already in Anderson and Moore, adding a third weapon like Samuel AND an elite dual purpose RB like CMC really creates a scenario where you really have to pick your poison. Add a good QB and/or a competent offensive line and you have the makings of an almost unstoppable offense. 

I get it.  I don't think we're going to be able to retain Samuel, someone WILL overpay him.  I think we can probably replace him with someone like Elijah Moore or Kadarius Toney in the draft.

[kungfoodude]

37 minutes ago, LinvilleGorge said:

I'm rooting for Bayless and it'll be awesome if he can become a contributor for us, but I've seen time and time again when training camp superstars fail to ever deliver on the field.

Oh the practice squad and training camp warriors. What is Stephen Hill doing these days?