XL makes a list of sophomore breakout candidates

[Gapanthersfan]

4 hours ago, DaveThePanther2008 said:

After their rookie season draft position has nothing to do with playing time. XL is going to have to fight for it. What I hope is XL has trained all off-season to improve his hands. 

Best thing is XL can only go up. 

He better start the season strong. I like the guy, and I do think he will improve but I would think patience only goes so far on a team that is very serious about winning. 

Coker, Thielen, Renfro. NFL proven Clutch dudes who flat out don’t drop passes and run sick routes. 

TMac: beast

Horn: Watch out

If your boss tells you that you’re doing a pretty decent job but could use some improvement, then over the course of the next few months hires 3 more guys who can do your job, just in case…. Just sayin’ 

 

[Silent Majority]

If he hit the jugs machine, X is going to beast. He got open a lot. He just didn't bring it in consistently.  

[MHS831]

I see it this way--XL was raw.  Raw players when drafted who are forced to start immediately are very raw players in the NFL--

How is he helped? TMac will shift the focus of the defense away from XL.  XL will be more experienced.  He will have an offseason of jugs work.  He is a very good athlete.  He can only get better.  Wallace?  Same thing.  He will get better with an improved defensive front and the addition of these heat-seeking head hunters at S. 

I think about the players we will have on defense in 2025 that we did not have in 2024.

Derrick Brown. DE

Brown III NT

Wharton DE

Jones Edge

Moehrig S

Princely. Edge

Scourton. Edge

Ransom. S

Cam Jackson NT

Roseboom  LB

While we may not know what we have, we know what we don't have--

 

[Urrymonster2]

Everyone was pretty happy with his start to the season. He was doing well as a compliment to DJ.

When DJ got shipped, he took on more X responsibilities and it didn’t work out, he struggled, got injured and hit the rookie wall.

Pretty sure we see him returning to more slot, flanker and a lot more free releases stuff. He did this pretty well to begin with. All draft reports cited he’s be good at this, poor at X and it showed.

Im excited for his year 2

[LinvilleGorge]

I hope so and honestly I think the Panthers expect it. They seem to really be pushing him in terms of their PR efforts this off-season. XL is seemingly everywhere and all over the social media feeds way more so than any other Panther.

[Pejorative Miscreant]

4 hours ago, LinvilleGorge said:

I hope so and honestly I think the Panthers expect it. They seem to really be pushing him in terms of their PR efforts this off-season. XL is seemingly everywhere and all over the social media feeds way more so than any other Panther.

He’s as “genuine country” as it gets and there’s an appeal factor there that can sell a lot of advertising. He just needs his game to pickup and I suspect he will be a marketing goldmine for the Panthers and the NFL.  

[Gapanthersfan]

2 outcomes:

1. he learns how to not drop a football and turns in to a very solid player for us.

2. He’s a poor man’s Ted Ginn w/o the speed. 

I really think his drops are mental. He’ll make some really tough grabs but miss on the routine. It’s a good time to have the best pass catcher in team history in Thielen. 

[PNW_PantherMan]

48 minutes ago, Gapanthersfan said:

2. He’s a poor man’s Ted Ginn w/o the speed. 

So he's a sandwich without bread.

[Icege]

10 hours ago, Gapanthersfan said:

2 outcomes:

1. he learns how to not drop a football and turns in to a very solid player for us.

2. He’s a poor man’s Ted Ginn w/o the speed. 

I really think his drops are mental. He’ll make some really tough grabs but miss on the routine. It’s a good time to have the best pass catcher in team history in Thielen. 

4.28 vs. 4.31

Funny enough... I can see the Ted Ginn Jr comp. Hands aren't the best but has great speed... except XL is almost 50lbs bigger than Ginn was.

That's a whole lot of him to be moving that fast.

Edited 5 hours ago by Icege

[Gapanthersfan]

Very similar, but I think Ted’s ‘football speed’ was far superior. If Ted got the ball in his hands in stride and a defender wasn’t within 5 yards… wrap. His game speed was just special. Tyreek and Vick like. I can remember the perfect bombs Cam would chuck his way, and, well, feast or famine. He would be 10 yards ahead of whoever was covering. 

Im not saying XL isn’t a burner, I just haven’t seen that level… yet. 

[Barney]

Anyone that watched XL in college knows he had good hands and would regularly go up and come down with 50/50 balls.  He got thrown in as a rookie and struggled along with dealing with a wrist injury.  I am hopeful the injury was part of the problem and he can use his size, strength and speed to become a solid part of our rotation.