Why Haven’t The Carolina Panthers Signed Dez Bryant Yet?

The Carolina Panthers have no choice but to get Cam Newton some help. For the last three seasons, Newton has pretty much been on an island by himself. The addition of Christian McCaffrey helped last year, but he’s still a running back being used as a wide receiver. Now that Jonathan Stewart is gone, McCaffrey will see more time in the backfield? Which leaves many to wonder why the Panthers haven’t made a strong play for Dez Bryant?

While many will point to that magical 2015 season when the Panthers won 15 games without Kelvin Benjamin in their breakout year, you could also look to 2016 and 2017 for points on why that season may have been just a mirage. For his career, according to Sports Reference, Newton is a 58 percent passer. That’s nowhere near elite level. A majority of that has to do with Newton over or underthrowing receivers but plenty can be attributed to a lack of good skill position players. While he’s had chemistry with the likes of Steve Smith, Greg Olsen, Benjamin, and Ted Ginn, Newton is now forced to throw his trust in Devin Funchess, Kaelin Clay, and Russell Shepard. It’s time for an upgrade.

The Panthers made a smart play by drafting wide receiver D.J. Moore this offseason but is he a true No.1 threat? What the Carolina Panthers need is a veteran player like Dez Bryant who can stretch the field while opening lanes for McCaffrey and Newton to run the ball. It sounds simple, but yet the Panthers have failed in this department. Imagine how different their playoff game against the New Orleans Saints would have gone if Bryant were in uniform.

Moving forward, Newton must have a receiver who can be his Antonio Brown, Julio Jones, or DeAndre Hopkins. A player with Newton’s abilities should not be hovering around the 23 touchdowns he throws almost annually. While Newton still uses his legs rather often to escape trouble, he often leaves himself open for dangerous hits. This is where a player like Bryant will come in handy. Bryant has the smarts to give his quarterback an escape option as he’s prone to keep a play alive. Playing with the non-mobile Tony Romo and another escape artist in Dak Prescott has taught him that and pairing him with a player like Newton will make Bryant one of the most dangerous weapons in the game.

Cam Newton threw for 349 yards and 2 TDs with 0 INTs and a 105.1 passer rating to a mostly practice squad WR corp.

Lord PLEASE give this man some weapons and let him fly.???????? pic.twitter.com/dDWuQxsyaT

— CAR Panthers News (@CarPanthersNews) January 8, 2018

In Dallas, the Cowboys were one of the best when it came to running the ball. Defenses who respect the run cannot play an extra defender in the secondary to double a wide receiver. In Carolina, Dez Bryant will see mostly man coverage, and we all know how well that works for him. During his time with the Cowboys, Bryant caught 531 passes for 7459 yards and 73 touchdowns. With the Cowboys electing to cut Bryant, he’s free to sign anywhere but only a few teams have made inquiries.

This is one of those deals the Carolina Panthers must make quick. Yes, Dez Bryant has had his fair share of issues with drops and immaturity but he’s well worth a one-year deal just to see what he and Newton can do as a tandem. Look around the NFC South and everyone has that go-to receiver but the Panther. Maybe Moore will be that guy but if he isn’t the Panthers will ride the legs and hands of McCaffrey and that may be too much for the youngster. Bryant may not have a Super Bowl resume attached to his name, but he’s good enough to keep defenses off-balance.

If the Carolina Panthers are serious about contending again, they will need to find some stability at the receiver position. It’s time to give Dez Bryant a call.

Mark Wilson

Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.