The Mold

[Mr. Scot]

So you wanna play receiver for the Panthers?

Cool, but you should know up front that there are certain things the Panthers tend to look for in their receivers.  If you really desire to be one of the top pass catchers here, there's a certain mold that the team is going to want you to fit into. 

Here are some of the specific characteristics of that mold...

BE TALL: At least six feet if possible, but 6-2 or above would be nice.  Kelvin Benjamin, Devin Funchess, Brenton Bersin, Stephen Hill and new guy Kevin Norwood are all up there (Norwood at 6-2 is the shortest of that bunch).  The more opposing defensive backs look up to you, the better.  The Panthers want you to be the kind of guy that people stand next to when they're looking for shade on a hot day in Spartanburg.  FYI: This rule also applies if you wanna play tight end here.

HAVE A BIG CATCH RADIUS: The team would also appreciate if you had arms that hung to about your knees.  If you're familiar with Mr. Fantastic from The Fantastic Four (the comic, not the colossal flop of a movie) that's kind of what they're hoping to see.  Hands that can envelope an average-sized person's head are also considered a plus.

BE PHYSICAL: If you're the guy that gets most of the rebounds in a pickup basketball game, the Panthers are interested.  Now, because you're likely the kind of player who isn't necessarily outrunning everybody, it becomes important that you be able to fight for the ball if it's contested.  Like the seagulls in Finding Nemo, you should always look at the ball and say "mine".  Also worth noting that the passes being thrown to you are going to be coming in hard and fast, so you'd best be strong enough to handle that.

BE SMART AND/OR COACHABLE: This team loves football savvy and coachability like Kermit the Frog loves pork, so be the kind of guy that works hard at understanding the rationale behind the route you're running and the role you serve on any particular play.  You'll want to understand coverages too, and how to beat them.  Plus it's really good if you're mentally quick enough to adjust on the fly when a play breaks down.

RUN AFTER CATCH ABILITY IS NICE, BUT NOT REQUIRED: They're not running a West Coast type attack here.  The offense that the Panthers run is big on downfield passing more so than short passes getting turned into big gains.  Essentially, it's get downfield and catch the ball.  If you can tack on some additional yards after that, it's gravy.

IF YOU'RE NOT A SKYSCRAPER, BRING SOMETHING ELSE: Like perhaps veteran presence (Jerricho Cotchery, 6-1) exceptional return ability (Ted Ginn, 5-11) great route running (Corey Brown, 5-10) or ridiculous speed (Damiere Byrd, 5-9).  If you can show something beneficial like this, then perhaps the lack of height can be overlooked.  Mind you, if you're under 5-10 and you have any hint of a 'little man' complex, you should probably look for work elsewhere (I've heard Baltimore is nice).

That's the mold.

So why, you ask, does the team tend to look for these things in the receivers they go after?

Because these are the kinds of receivers that benefit quarterback Cam Newton the most.

Newton's not a "timing" passer and his accuracy is still more Brett Favre than Drew Brees. And yes, like his predecessor Jake Delhomme, his passes sail high sometimes. Unlike Delhomme though, Newton's passes come at you like a bullet, and not every receiver can handle that type of velocity. 

Thus, the team has looked for guys who are big, rangy and strong enough to handle the hardball.  That's the type of receiver that tends to earn Newton's trust.  Yes, there are other types around to try and fill certain roles and/or provide the team with an added dimension, but the guys whom the team wants to be the primary focus of the passing game are the kind that other teams might be more likely to put at tight end than receiver.

Different?  Maybe, but we've talked a lot recently about "fit", and it's a pretty big deal in the NFL.  Fans sometimes look at a guy and say "oh, he's a good player", but then when he moves on to another team and suddenly stinks, they wonder what happened.  Likewise, you might see a guy who looks like only a middling level player in one scheme flourish somewhere where they run an attack more suited to his particular skill set.  This is what the team is hoping for with Kevin Norwood. 

And yes, it's possible.

Legendary hockey coach Herb Brooks was quoted in the movie "Miracle" as saying that he wasn't looking for the best players; he was looking for the right players.  Now, while I doubt the Panthers would sign on to that exact quote, there is a certain element of that philosophy in the way the Panthers have built their receiver corps.

Basically, they want the best players who are the right fit for their offense and for their quarterback.

And frankly, that's smart.

[PntherPryd]

I was thinking along these same lines this morning with the post about Norwood's leaping catch ability.  Your post goes miles beyond my casual thought processes though and is really more of an excellent article than a post.

Meanwhile, the Brady verdict thread, which for now is in this forum, will more than likely get far more views/reads.

Kudo's on content Mr Scot but your timing sucks!  :)

 

 

[Mr. Scot]

I was thinking along these same lines this morning with the post about Norwood's leaping catch ability.  Your post goes miles beyond my casual thought processes though and is really more of an excellent article than a post.

Meanwhile, the Brady verdict thread, which for now is in this forum, will more than likely get far more views/reads.

Kudo's on content Mr Scot but your timing sucks!  :)

Chuckled when I saw the headline come across NFL Mobile.

Ah well...

[Ivan The Awesome]

They're catering to Cam's skill set which is awesome. You will still need that shifty wide out with amazing speed. Ginn is the poster child for that, but he's getting long in the tooth. Byrd, Brown, X player needs to be that guy after he's gone. 

 

As far as Tall, huge catch radius, wideouts, I think we're good when KB comes back. I think it's time to draft a T.Y Hilton/Brandin Cooks type of player in the future. That's my opinion though. 

[caatfan]

Good points on what team needs to look for in a receiver for Cam, and glad to see that the team also has some sense. Under 'bring something else', I would only add, for the little guys like Ginn, Brown, and Byrd- get open and catch the damn ball. Ginn and Brown have been doing the first part, but lately only Ginn has been successful at catching.

 

Meanwhile, the Brady verdict thread, which for now is in this forum, will more than likely get far more views/reads.

Not me. I'm not into bitch fests.

[Mr. Scot]

Good points on what team needs to look for in a receiver for Cam, and glad to see that the team also has some sense. Under 'bring something else', I would only add, for the little guys like Ginn, Brown, and Byrd- get open and catch the damn ball. Ginn and Brown have been doing the first part, but lately only Ginn has been successful at catching.

I thought about that, but considered it too generic, i.e. everybody wants that.  Plus I was looking at specific guys.

I could see an argument for including it though.

[hepcat]

Pretty obvious stuff but good write up.  I liked the quote at the end - it applies to all sports and is a reason a lot of very talented players fail.  They weren't the right fit for whatever team drafted them.  RGIII cough cough hahah.  But what QB wouldn't fail in Washington, I know Cam would have...

[PntherPryd]

Pretty obvious stuff but good write up.  I liked the quote at the end - it applies to all sports and is a reason a lot of very talented players fail.  They weren't the right fit for whatever team drafted them.  RGIII cough cough hahah.  But what QB wouldn't fail in Washington, I know Cam would have...

Excellent point.  

 

[Growl]

Philly Brown and Ted Ginn Jr are our starting WRs.

[caatfan]

I thought about that, but considered it too generic, i.e. everybody wants that.  Plus I was looking at specific guys.

I could see an argument for including it though.

It is kind of obvious for any and all receivers, but fast doesn't get you open if the CB can stick to you like glue, and open doesn't help if you're gonna drop the ball. I suppose I felt the need to add it out of frustration with the problems we're seeing this preseason- Brown in particular.

[uncfan888]

you had me at the finding nemo reference... but seriously, great write up

[Mr. Scot]

It is kind of obvious for any and all receivers, but fast doesn't get you open if the CB can stick to you like glue, and open doesn't help if you're gonna drop the ball. I suppose I felt the need to add it out of frustration with the problems we're seeing this preseason- Brown in particular.

Understood.

Hurts to think of how Benjamin might have looked this year seeing how he was killing it in camp.

[UpstatePanther]

Devin Funchess and Ted Ginn Jr are our starting WRs.

FIFY. 

[ItsNotGonnaBeAlright]

Philly Brown and Ted Ginn Jr are our starting WRs.

yeah, what moron hired them specifically to be our top two receivers?