The Panthers Have To Sign This Receiver
The Bucs and Mike Evans are far apart in contract negotiations, and Mike Evans is trending toward becoming a free agent. The Panthers must heavily pursue Mike Evans when he hits the open market.
Bryce Young's Development
The Panthers gave up multiple first-round picks and their star receiver D.J. Moore when trading for the first overall pick. While doing this, the Panthers lost their star receiving option and had no clear plan to replace him. Carolina signed Adam Thielen and DJ Chark, but neither provided Carolina with the explosiveness Moore had.
Thielen had a fantastic year going for over 1,000 yards, but at the age of 33, Thielen is not a number one option on a competent offense. Due to the lack of receiving options, Bryce Young struggled. Young finished the year with 2,877 yards throwing only 11 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. Evans has received over 1,000 yards every year and is as dependable as a receiver gets.
Every star quarterback in the NFL currently had a number-one receiving threat that helped stunt their development. Tua had a career year when the Dolphins traded for Tyreek Hill. Josh Allen broke out when the Bills acquired Stefon Diggs, and Jalen Hurts took a huge step forward when the Eagles acquired A.J. Brown. There is a strong trend showing when a team gets an elite receiver, their quarterback usually takes a huge leap forward.
Weak Division
The NFC South is an extremely weak division currently, and an aggressive push for Mike Evans is going to go a long way for the Panthers. The Saints are in a horrible cap space situation, the Bucs could potentially take a step back if Mike Evans departs, and the Falcons have no answer at quarterback.
Bryce Young should take a healthy progression in year two with much better receiving options, and in a wide open division, Carolina is giving themselves a chance to compete.
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