The Carolina Panthers have been daring this offseason after a chaotic and dismal 2022 marketing campaign, and so they may have an actual shot at making the playoffs for the primary time since 2017.
They traded vital capital, together with stud extensive receiver D.J. Moore, to get the No. 1 decide on this yr’s NFL Draft from the Chicago Bears, which they used on College of Alabama quarterback Bryce Younger.
However Carolina additionally has excessive hopes for wideout Laviska Shenault Jr.
The truth is, new head coach Frank Reich says he intends to line him up within the backfield as a working again at occasions, much like how the San Francisco 49ers love to make use of Deebo Samuel, per Ari Meirov.
#Panthers HC Frank Reich advised reporters they’re going to experiment utilizing WR Laviska Shenault in a Deebo Samuel kind function.
“You take a look at guys like Deebo Samuel and stuff like that and also you say, ‘Nicely, can Laviska do a few of that stuff?’ After all he can.” pic.twitter.com/OHUzxwRPRR
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) June 1, 2023
At first look, one might marvel why Reich desires Shenault to play such a job.
In three professional seasons, he has by no means run for as many as 100 yards nor reached 20 carries in a single yr.
Nonetheless, at 6-foot-1 and practically 230 kilos, Shenault virtually has a physique that resembles a working again greater than a wideout.
Carolina ought to have already got a strong working sport with the arrival of tailback Miles Sanders, who tallied 1,269 speeding yards and 11 touchdowns en path to his first Professional Bowl look in 2022.
With DJ Chark and Adam Thielen additionally incoming to beef up the extensive receiver place, the Panthers may very effectively make the playoffs if Younger is a powerful producer from day one.
One factor is for certain: Most quarterbacks taken so excessive within the draft don’t have the luxurious of taking part in with the kind of talent gamers Younger will line up alongside this fall.
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