Panthers wide receivers group “under construction” this offseason

The Panthers know that Bryce Young is their future at quarterback, but there’s less certainty about what the group of players he’ll be throwing to will look like.

DJ Moore was traded to the Bears as part of the package the Panthers used to move up to the first overall pick and the team brought in several new wideouts as part of the process of rebuilding the group. DJ Chark and Adam Thielen signed as free agents and Damiere Byrd returned for a second stint before Jonathan Mingo was drafted in the second round to add to a group that has Terrace Marshall, Laviska Shenault, and Shi Smith back from last year.

On Thursday, wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson said that the team is sorting out how all of the pieces will stack up.

“We are a group that’s under construction right now. That means everybody. We’re under construction,” Jefferson said, via Schuyler Callahan of SI.com. “We’re trying to get the offense implemented, so we’re in the building process — the land-clearing process phase here. Everybody right now is in learning mode and trying to get used to what we want them to do. We’re finding out what guys can do. It’s part of our job as coaches to put it out there and see what these guys can do, then we can start building the blocks of how we want them, plug them in where we want them to be, and where they fit best according to their talent skill set.”

The Panthers haven’t installed Young as the starter yet, but he will make his way to the top of the depth chart and the makeup of the receiving corps will help determine how he fares once he gets there.