The Carolina Panthers suffered a big scare on Wednesday morning. Already having questionable depth at the wide receiver position, the Panthers cannot afford injuries within the group. They certainly cannot afford an injury to Kelvin Benjamin which took place on Wednesday. Will the scare to the team's No.1 receiver cause Carolina to eye free agent help?
Benjamin went down on a non-contract drill and immediately grabbed his knee. Unable to put weight on his leg, the team's leading wide receiver was carted off the field as the Panthers feared the worst. According to the Charlotte Observer, Benjamin suffered a knee sprain and will undergo an MRI exam to determine the extent of any further damage down. For now, Benjamin appears to have dodged a major bullet, but the scare could force the Panthers to make some news.
On top of the injury to Benjamin, second-round draft pick Devin Funchess is dealing with a tweaked hamstring according to head coach Ron Rivera. He will likely be held out of practice and might not play in the team's second preseason game. Both of these players are expected starters for the Panthers which is drawing into question the need for more depth. Right now the free agent market features Wes Welker and Reggie Wayne who would be critical veteran voices if signed.
The Panthers already lost Stephen Hill for the season. They cannot afford to have another wide receiver go down as Cam Newton enters a critical season with the team. Already given a contract extension, Newton is lacking elite talent to throw to. While Welker and Wayne might not be elite talent anymore, they would be good for depth if the Panthers were to have another injury setback. According to Rivera, he would rather have players step up and help rather than bring someone in from the outside.
"It's not going to change the complexion of what we want to do or how we're going to do it," Rivera said, via ESPN.com. "It's just going to change who's going to do it. It means that young men like Devin Funchess are going to have to step up until Kelvin is back. Some guys have just got to step up and take advantage of the opportunity, and hopefully we'll get some positive news later today."
According to ESPN, Jarrett Boykin will be big for the team if Benjamin and Funchess miss time. Ted Gin Jr will be expected to do the same along with veteran Jerricho Cotchery. The run game of Jonathan Stewart who is expected to be a fantasy star this year and Fozzy Whittaker will also be critical to help Newton.
