After they traded for the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, it’s all but certain that the Carolina Panthers will be drafting a quarterback. But with 2022’s leading receiver, D.J. Moore, going to the Chicago Bears as part of the trade that landed the Panthers the No. 1 pick, who that quarterback pass to?
The Panthers reportedly have interest in a two-time Pro Bowler.
Carolina is going to look at Adam Thielen, who was recently released by the Minnesota Vikings. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported on Tuesday that the “Panthers are expected to host” Thielen on Wednesday.
This is interesting: The #Panthers are expected to host former #Vikings WR Adam Thielen on a visit tomorrow. The veteran has plenty left and Carolina will get the first look.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 14, 2023
Thielen will be 33 when the 2022 season gets going. So, there was some curiosity about why he’d possibly go to a team that figures to be at least a year away from contending.
Interesting. Everyone kept saying how Adam Thielen was only going to a contender.
Yet, he's visiting the Panthers first. https://t.co/USYDkUNFez
— Doug Rush (@TheDougRush) March 14, 2023
He wanted to play for a contender so naturally this makes sense… https://t.co/zEjOUUPLkB
— Tyler Johnson (@T_johnson_TJ) March 14, 2023
For the most part, though, this was seen as a good match.
You might have heard the Panthers need receivers. https://t.co/Uefgg7jKxQ
— Joe Person (@josephperson) March 14, 2023
Last year’s #Panthers squad felt like it needed more vocal leadership among the offensive skill players. Thielen, if signed, would certainly check that box. https://t.co/YpACJ8TB1c
— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) March 14, 2023
This would be a great piece imo https://t.co/EnbRavHmLg
— Cat Scratch Reader (@CatScratchReadr) March 14, 2023
Would be a great signing for a thin WR room. https://t.co/EaiINUEGc3
— Panthers On Tap (@PanthersOnTap) March 14, 2023
He immediately would become their number one WR (which says more about Carolina than him) https://t.co/CVZilFlXO1
— Sean Pendergast (@SeanTPendergast) March 14, 2023
Thielen is a long way removed from the 2017 and 2018 seasons, when he averaged better than 100 catches and 1,300 yards per season.
That said, this would be a sensible move.
Even if the Panthers had kept Moore, they’d have one of the worst group of receivers in the league. For a rookie quarterback to develop, he needs people to throw the ball to. Thielen caught 70 passes for 716 yards with six touchdowns in 2022. He’s no longer a superstar. But if he can replicate that, he can at least be a safety valve.
If Thielen really wants to go to a contender, that’s a holdup. Sure, we see significant year-to-year turnarounds on a near annual basis. But even playing in a shaky NFC South, Carolina doesn’t figure to be a likely candidate to do that — at least not next season. But if the Panthers are willing to pay him, he can definitely be a valuable receiver on a team with a real dearth at the position.
