Adam Thielen signed with the Panthers yesterday, in what looks like an ideal fit for both player and team. Thielen's a 32-year-old veteran in need of a team, while Carolina, after trading away DJ Moore, was desperately in need of a serviceable wide receiver.
Even with Moore, actually, the argument could be made that the Panthers have really needed a receiver like Thielen. Especially in terms of scoring touchdowns. The former Viking has been one of the best wideouts at getting in the end zone in recent years, while Carolina simply hasn't had a player like that.
Table shows Thielen's receiving stats since moving into the starting lineup, compared to all the main Carolina wideouts over the last 10 years. You have to go back to 2017 to find a Panther who caught more than 7 touchdowns in a season, while Thielen has done it three times in the last five years.
| THIELEN / CAROLINA WRS, LAST 10 YEARS | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD |
| 2020 | Adam Thielen | 108 | 74 | 925 | 12.5 | 14 |
| 2021 | Adam Thielen | 95 | 67 | 726 | 10.8 | 10 |
| 2015 | Ted Ginn | 97 | 44 | 739 | 16.8 | 10 |
| 2018 | Adam Thielen | 153 | 113 | 1373 | 12.2 | 9 |
| 2014 | Kelvin Benjamin | 145 | 73 | 1008 | 13.8 | 9 |
| 2017 | Devin Funchess | 111 | 63 | 840 | 13.3 | 8 |
| 2022 | DJ Moore | 118 | 63 | 888 | 14.1 | 7 |
| 2016 | Kelvin Benjamin | 118 | 63 | 941 | 14.9 | 7 |
| 2019 | Curtis Samuel | 105 | 54 | 627 | 11.6 | 7 |
| 2019 | Adam Thielen | 48 | 30 | 418 | 13.9 | 7 |
| 2022 | Adam Thielen | 107 | 70 | 716 | 10.2 | 6 |
| 2020 | Curtis Samuel | 97 | 77 | 851 | 11.1 | 5 |
| 2016 | Adam Thielen | 92 | 69 | 967 | 14.0 | 5 |
| 2021 | Robby Anderson | 110 | 53 | 519 | 9.8 | 5 |
| 2013 | Brandon LaFell | 85 | 49 | 627 | 12.8 | 5 |
| 2021 | DJ Moore | 163 | 93 | 1157 | 12.4 | 4 |
| 2017 | Adam Thielen | 142 | 91 | 1276 | 14.0 | 4 |
| 2019 | DJ Moore | 135 | 87 | 1175 | 13.5 | 4 |
| 2020 | DJ Moore | 118 | 66 | 1193 | 18.1 | 4 |
| 2013 | Steve Smith Sr. | 110 | 64 | 745 | 11.6 | 4 |
| 2016 | Ted Ginn | 95 | 54 | 752 | 13.9 | 4 |
| 2018 | Devin Funchess | 79 | 44 | 549 | 12.5 | 4 |
| 2020 | Robby Anderson | 136 | 95 | 1096 | 11.5 | 3 |
| 2018 | DJ Moore | 82 | 55 | 788 | 14.3 | 2 |
| 2014 | Jerricho Cotchery | 78 | 48 | 580 | 12.1 | 1 |
| 2018 | Jarius Wright | 59 | 43 | 447 | 10.4 | 1 |
I wasn't a huge fan of Carolina's trade up to No. 1, but on the whole they've done some good things. Miles Sanders, Hayden Hurst and now Thielen are all capable veterans; Sanders and Hurst are at least arguably upgrades over what the team was starting at those positions last season, and Thielen at least gives them a credible threat at wideout while they try to develop a youngster or two. And they'll be able to select whoever they identify as the top quarterback in the Draft. Frank Reich should be a coaching upgrade over what they had on the offensive side of the ball with Matt Rhule running things.
And it's not like they're playing in a tough division these days. If they get that quarterback choice right, some potential for Carolina to eventually emerge as the top team.
--Andy Richardson