The Carolina Panthers need to get quarterback Bryce Young some help, and quickly.
Young’s rookie campaign was nothing short of an unmitigated disaster, as he was sacked 62 times and totaled 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
While Young clearly needs to work on some things, his struggles were hardly all his fault and were largely a direct result of poor roster construction on the part of the Panthers.
One of the primary issues that plagued Young during his debut season was his lack of legitimate weapons, with Adam Thielen representing his only reliable target in the aerial attack.
That’s why Nick Shook of NFL.com has pegged Carolina as the best free-agent fit for Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd.
Boyd is not a No. 1 guy, but that’s okay. At this point, what Young needs is dependable targets, and Boyd can certainly represent that for the youthful signal-caller.
The 29-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Pittsburgh, was selected by the Bengals in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
After a couple of relatively uneventful seasons to begin his career, Boyd broke out in 2018, catching 76 passes for 1,028 yards and seven touchdowns. He posted similar numbers the following year, hauling in 90 receptions for 1,046 yards and five scores.
Boyd has not reached the 1,000-mark since then, but he has registered over 800 yards twice and is coming off of a solid 2023 campaign in which he snared 67 balls for 667 yards and a couple of touchdowns. That came as Cincinnati’s third receiver behind Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
The Panthers have ample cap room heading into free agency, so they can afford to sign a couple of pass-catchers to shore up their receiving corps.
Boyd could absolutely be one of those potential signings, and given how unwavering he has been as a receiver throughout his career, it would almost definitely pay off for Carolina.
Want the latest NFL analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click here. Interested in reading storylines and analysis about the NBA? Check out our partner NBA Analysis Network.
