A Discussion on WRs: 2011 v.s. 2023

[NYPantherFan]

2011 had better top end talent with Smith, but 2023 is better as a collective group, at least on paper.

Pilares and Adams didn't even record a target in 2011. Ajirotutu had 2 targets. Just rule them out from the conversation.

Edited August 22, 2023 by NYPantherFan
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[SaltAndPepper]

As a panther fan that really started getting into football in 2017, I thank all for the enlightenment. 

[4Corners]

4 hours ago, Dave Gettleman's Shorts said:

the 2015 WR group is more comparable to this group

Ginn : Chark

Cotchery : Thielen

Funchess : TMJ

Philly : Shi

 

Thanks a lot this makes me want to barf 

[OneBadCat]

Smith is a HOF and and LaFell had some rookie juice that made him pretty serviceable. Other than that this years group SHOULD be more well rounded.

[pantherclaw]

6 hours ago, Dave Gettleman's Shorts said:

the 2015 WR group is more comparable to this group

Ginn : Chark

Cotchery : Thielen

Funchess : TMJ

Philly : Shi

 

Thielen is way better than Cotchery. 

Chark is better than Ginn. 

Don’t care enough about the rest to even rate them. 

[top dawg]

On paper, I'm still taking 2023. 

Chark, Mingo, Shenault and TMJ were all second rounders. Thielen has been a legit go-to quasi WR1.

Take 89 from 2011, and it gets ugly immediately. Not even a half dozen red Solo cups of Hunch Punch will make that look good.

[KSpan]

14 hours ago, NYPantherFan said:

2011 had better top end talent with Smith, but 2023 is better as a collective group, at least on paper.

Pilares and Adams didn't even record a target in 2011. Ajirotutu had 2 targets. Just rule them out from the conversation.

Can't look at that in a vacuum though, as Olsen and Shockey had 150 targets between them that year. I don't see this year's TE group getting anywhere near that.

[LinvilleGorge]

Smitty is by far the best WR in the two units but I think this year's unit has significantly better depth of talent.

[JawnyBlaze]

2023 is easily deeper and more well rounded, but 2011 had Smitty and Olsen which gives it the edge.  Having two game changers is probably better for a rookie than four solid options. 

[csx]

14 hours ago, SameDamnThing said:

Brandon LaFell was an excellent second option that year. It might have been the best year he had in the league. Shockey, Olson, and Stew were all prioritized as pass catching targets ahead of the rest of those guys aside from Smith. So for me, it looks like we had a number one, a number two, and several 4th or 5th WR on that 2011 team. This team has Thelen as a generous number one/high end two, Chark as a high end two that is injury prone, a number three in TMJ, and Mingo who is a wild card with a lot of potential. I would take the 2023 group even though the passing assembly with Greg has a hall of very good TE and Shockey as a pro bowl TE skews it heavily in favor of 2011. The WR group alone, it's hard to defend 2011 as being better and my memories of LaFell are kinder than most. 

2011 was LaFells 5th most yards, 5th most TDs, and 8th most receptions. He played 9 seasons so it was one of his lesser seasons.

[Panthercougar68]

Smith is the best player on that list but depth wise 2023 is better Than 2011 by a mile.

 

[JawnyBlaze]

2023 is light years ahead of 2015 in every way except TE. 

[Mr. Scot]

16 hours ago, Dave Gettleman's Shorts said:

the 2015 WR group is more comparable to this group

Ginn : Chark

Cotchery : Thielen

Funchess : TMJ

Philly : Shi

Chark has better hands.

And while I know he wasn't on the field in 2015, I still think Thielen's best comp is Ricky Proehl.

2 hours ago, LinvilleGorge said:

Smitty is by far the best WR in the two units but I think this year's unit has significantly better depth of talent.

I can sign on to that.

[hepcat]

The 2011 offense was low key one of the most talented the Panthers ever put on the field. If it wasn't for the defense being complete trash that team would have been in the playoffs. 

Back on topic I'd take Steve Smith and a rag tag group of other WRs over anything else.