Another Strikeout? Rumored Receiver Addition Opts for Thielen’s Panthers
K. Joudry
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The Carolina Panthers are in the midst of a rebuild, adding talent during free agency so that Frank Reich can hit the ground running in 2023. They own the draft’s 1st overall selection, and they’ve made it a priority to ensure their soon-to-be franchise QB has some reliable targets.
D.J. Chark – who played with the Lions in 2022 – will be joining Adam Thielen’s Panthers.
Ian Rapoport has the word, noting that a “complete remake of the Carolina offense is underway, and Chark will be a big part. As will their new rookie QB.” Indeed, he’ll partner with Thielen to make the young QB’s transition a touch easier.
Ari Meirov came in afterwards, clarifying that the deal was simply for $5 million. Clearly, the Vikings didn’t think that adding the speedster was a top priority.
Chark came in at 23rd overall in the PurplePTSD Top 32 Free Agents for the Vikings. Much of the appeal rested in his rare combination of height and speed, making him an intimating receiver for defenses to account for. Take a peak at the description:
You can’t teach 6’4″. Either you have it or you don’t. Chark has it. His 30 catches went for 502 yards last season, meaning he had an impressive 16.7 yards per catch. He hasn’t yet played a full season in his 5 years in the NFL but he has the capacity to blow the lid off a defense, largely due to his size and 4.3 speed. Brad Spielberger previously connected him to the Vikings.
Justin Jefferson is going to be Minnesota’s WR1. The concern simply rests in whether the Vikings will have someone who can take the heat off of #18 when the defense is going all-out on nullifying him. I, for one, am enthused about K.J. Osborn; I believe he’s a capable WR2, especially in an offense that will lean more toward 12 personnel.
At his best, Chark produced north of 1,000 yards, but that was back in 2019. Since that time, he hasn’t surpassed 706 yards.
There are plenty of rumblings that the Vikings will look to the draft to bring in receiver help. Perhaps that’s true, and yet there are needs scattered across the roster. Bringing in another corner or edge rusher might be more prudent.
Per Over the Cap, the Vikings are sitting on less than $1 million in cap space. However, the team has extended C.J. Ham, a move that will almost certainly carve out a touch more room in the upcoming season. Moreover, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah can look to trades, restructures, cuts, and/or extensions to free up more cap room.
Stay tuned.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
