Replacing Curtis Samuel? What’s next for Panthers receivers if he moves on

Each position on the offensive side of the ball for the Carolina Panthers has at least one question attached to it.

At some spots, the unknowns are a bit larger. Who will be starting at quarterback Week 1? How will the offensive line come together? Who will fill the need at tight end?

Depth at wide receiver is not an issue. The team re-signed Brandon Zylstra and Keith Kirkwood to one-year deals, making it a total of nine receivers under contract for the 2021 season.

The two top receivers remain DJ Moore and Robby Anderson. The unknown is who will be the third with Curtis Samuel scheduled to become a free agent.

In an ideal world, the Panthers would like to re-sign Samuel, but it is unlikely that the team will bring back both him and right tackle Taylor Moton, who is a candidate for the franchise tag, even with more than $25 million in cap space recently created. Samuel may be the beneficiary of having his best season yet just prior to entering free agency. He had his first 1,000-scrimmage yard season in 2020, being used as both a receiver and a rusher.

He is expected to test the market and will have interested parties, possibly even in Washington from former Panthers head coach Ron Rivera and general manager Marty Hurney, and in Jacksonville from former college head coach Urban Meyer. One thing to keep in mind is that the free-agent class at receiver is extensive with some big names and the position is one of the deepest in this year’s draft, per draft analysts.

ON THE ROSTER

▪ DJ Moore

Entering his fourth season, Moore has a chance to become the second wide receiver in Panthers history with three straight seasons of 1,000-plus receiving yards, joining Steve Smith (2005-08). He is coming off a career-high 18.1 yards per reception, but still has never had more than four touchdowns in a season.

▪ Robby Anderson

Anderson enters the final of a two-year contract with the Panthers. He had the first 1,000-yard season of his career in 2020 in Joe Brady’s offense, but tailored off in the second half of the year. For the first time since his rookie season, Anderson finished with fewer than five touchdowns (three).

▪ Keith Kirkwood

After missing almost the entire season due to a broken clavicle injury that was re-injured one game after returning to practice, ending his year, Kirkwood made sense for the Panthers to bring back as a restricted free agent. Staying healthy has been an issue throughout his career, but he could contribute if he can stay on the field.

▪ Brandon Zylstra

Zylstra is a solid backup receiver and also contributes on special teams. Another no-brainer for the Panthers to bring back.

▪ Omar Bayless

An undrafted rookie out of Arkansas State, Bayless flashed in the first couple of days of training camp. Needing surgery on his knee, however, ended up placing him on season-ending injured reserve. Bayless has the potential to emerge and play a role in the Panthers’ offense, but he will have to prove it in his second offseason.

▪ Marken Michel

Michel spent most of the 2020 season on the Panthers’ practice squad, but did play in two games, largely on special teams. He could end up back on the practice squad.

▪ Ishmael Hyman

Another practice squad receiver, Hyman did not see the field in 2020.

▪ Amara Darboh

Darboh joined the Panthers’ practice squad for the last three games of the 2020 season. An interesting note on Darboh: He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the third-round of the 2017 NFL draft out of Michigan. After playing his rookie year in Seattle, he was waived twice by the Seahawks, once in 2018 and then again in 2019 after he spent a season on injured reserve. Darboh is someone new general manager Scott Fitterer is familiar with.

▪ Ventell Bryant

A former Temple receiver, as are Anderson and Kirkwood, Bryant spent 2019 and 2020 with the Dallas Cowboys until he was waived in October. He was signed to the practice squad by the Panthers in December.

IF NOT CURTIS SAMUEL, WHAT OTHER FREE AGENTS?

At this point, it appears more likely that Samuel gets a significant contract elsewhere. Never say never, but how would the Panthers go about replacing him? Filling his spot from last season isn’t simple as he had the ability to do a variety of things, some of which don’t show up on the stat sheet. Head coach Matt Rhule often spoke of how highly he viewed Samuel because of his willingness to do whatever was asked and lauded his blocking skills.

There a variety of bigger names at the top of this free-agent wide receiver class that the Panthers couldn’t and shouldn’t pay; their biggest needs reside elsewhere. It seems more likely that the Panthers address the position in the draft, but if we were looking at free agency, who are some names that could be interesting fits?

▪ Cordarrelle Patterson

This would be fun for the right price. Patterson, a Rock Hill native, is almost 30-years old, but made the Pro Bowl last year as a kickoff returner. He could re-sign with the Chicago Bears, but if he doesn’t, he could fill some of what Samuel did in 2020, although not to that volume. Patterson actually had more rushing yards (232) than receiving (132) in 2020, but had a career-low 4.3 yards per touch. Other receivers, like Kirkwood and Bayless, would also have to emerge for Carolina, as well.

Panthers returner/wide receiver Pharoh Cooper is also a free agent this offseason, and Patterson’s abilities would be likely even more useful on special teams.

▪ David Moore

How much of an influence will Fitterer’s Seattle connections have? That’s still to be seen. So far, the Panthers have signed 2020 Seahawks draft pick tight end Stephen Sullivan. Moore, also drafted by Seattle in 2017, has never had more than 500 receiving yards in a season, but scoring isn’t an issue with six touchdowns last year, which bests any Panthers receiver by two. He could be an interesting way to continue to build depth in the receiver room.

▪ Kendrick Bourne

Bourne is coming off a career season with the 49ers in 2020. He can line up outside and in the slot, but his versatility doesn’t extend to carrying the ball as Samuel did. His numbers aren’t the flashiest, but one thing that does stand out: He’s only missed one game over the last three years.

PANTHERS DRAFT POSSIBILITIES

Again, this a deep draft for the position, similar to last year. Waiting until Day 2 or Day 3 to pick a receiver won’t be a problem. There are a number of players that could fit into what the Panthers want to do on offense.

▪ Clemson WR Amari Rodgers: Carolina has never drafted a player from Clemson. Could this be the year? Rodgers was coached by the Panthers at the Senior Bowl and had a solid three days of practice. Odds are strongly in favor of the Panthers taking at least one player they coached in Mobile.

ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. described him as a “great slot receiver,” but there’s a chance he goes earlier than the Panthers may want to grab a receiver.

▪ UCLA RB Demetric Felton: Need a replacement for Samuel? Felton was a running back in college, but also played some slot receiver to start his time with the Bruins. On the Miami Dolphins’ team at the Senior Bowl, Felton played in the slot and put up a solid performance. His versatility makes him a natural fit in Brady’s offense and a player they could invest in later in the draft.

Other intriguing wideouts garnering draft buzz: Western Michigan WR D’Wayne Eskridge, Louisville WR Tutu Atwell, Ole Miss WR Elijah Moore, South Carolina WR Shi Smith.

BOTTOM LINE

There are certain positions where it makes sense for the Panthers to spend with the recent cap space that was created, but wide receiver isn’t one of them. The depth already exists on the roster and there are many ways to go about adding to the group without splurging. This team has a variety of needs on both sides of the ball that need to be invested in for the long-term. While Samuel looks to get paid, a less high-profile free agent and/or a late draft pick seems like the perfect fit for continuing to developing this offense.