Whenever the Panthers insert first overall pick Bryce Young into the lineup as their starting quarterback, his chances of success will be boosted by having a strong supporting cast around him.
Something similar to the supporting cast that helped Brock Purdy quarterback the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game last year would be ideal. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel was part of that cast and Panthers head coach Frank Reich sees a player in Carolina that he thinks can do some similar things.
Wide receiver Laviska Shenault only had 337 yards from scrimmage last season, but they included a 67-yard touchdown catch and a 41-yard run that displayed his ability to break big plays. Reich said on Thursday that the team believes those traits can help him give the Panthers some of what Samuel has provided the 49ers.
“I think Laviska has been one of those guys out here that’s looked good,” Reich said, via Anthony Rizzuti of USAToday.com. “We’ll continue to investigate the different roles that he can play. Obviously, even if we had this grandiose plan . . . which maybe we do. But I wouldn’t reveal that here, now — all the different ways you can use him. You look at guys like Deebo Samuel and stuff like that and you say, ‘Well, can Laviska do some of that stuff?’ Of course he can. We’ll experiment with some of that stuff. We’ll experiment with some of that stuff and see — some of it will get incorporated and some of it won’t.”
Samuel’s production has obviously been much more consistent than Shenault’s over their time in the league, but anything close to the 49er star’s impact would be a big plus for Carolina.
