Panther WR left early in Week 3
#Panthers coach Ron Rivera confirms WR Kelvin Benjamin’s MRI on his knee showed no structural damage. Good news. (Ian Rapoport on Twitter)
Nerdy Football Analysis: Benjamin finished Sunday with 2 catches for 8 yards after leaving in the first quarter with a knee injury. While no structural damage is good news, Benjamin could still miss some time depending on the diagnosis. We should know more about his availability for Week 4 later in the week.
WR reportedly weighed nearly 270 pounds at one point
Whatever Kelvin Benjamin tipped the scales at in April ?” Ron Rivera says it wasn’t 280 pounds, although he might have been touching 270 ?” the fourth-year wideout seemed to get the message Rivera sent publicly after the draft. Benjamin needs to show up to Spartanburg looking like he did the final day of minicamp, when he reached down to pluck a pass a couple inches off the grass and got both feet inbounds. (The Charlotte Observer)
Nerdy Football Analysis: Benjamin is always going to be a big receiver, but his weight fluctuation continues to be an issue. At his best, KB is nearly unstoppable on high-point throws and in the red zone. A slim-and-trim Benjamin is critical for the Panthers as they make their transition from a power-running team to one more reliant on versatile big-play rookies Christian McCaffrey and Curtis Samuel.
The Carolina Panthers’ worst fears have been realized. After going down with a non-contact knee injury at Wednesday morning’s practice, wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin has been diagnosed with a torn ACL, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Benjamin confirmed that he would miss the season via a Facebook post late Wednesday afternoon.
Not only does the diagnosis deal a major blow to Carolina’s depth on the outside, but it undeniably hurts quarterback Cam Newton’s fantasy stock.
For a team that was already thin at receiver, the Panthers are now left without a big, physical weapon on the outside who could torment defenses, as NFL.com’s Chris Wesseling observed:
Sans Benjamin, Newton will have few viable downfield threats to work with.
Last season, the former Florida State stud accounted for eight of the team’s 14 receptions of at least 20 yards downfield, per ESPN Stats & Info. Benjamin was also Newton’s go-to threat in the red zone, where he could be relied on to outjump opposing corners and haul in back-shoulder throws and post-up fades.
Now Newton will have rookie receiver Devin Funchess, tight end Greg Olsen and the platoon of Jerricho Cotchery, Philly Brown and Ted Ginn Jr. to work with in a wideout rotation.
And as RotoExperts’ Jennifer Millman pointed out, Funchess is the guy primed for a stock surge with Benjamin sidelined:
The 2015 first-round pick certainly looks the part of a primary weapon at 6’5″ and 230 pounds, but he’ll need to display steady hands and a consistent ability to separate from coverage downfield.
Since Funchess is by far the most physically imposing wideout the Panthers have left, he should shoot up draft boards before the regular season gets underway. At present, he’s being drafted as the 68th receiver off the board, per FantasyPros.com.
That number should at the very least shoot into the mid-to-high 30s, where players such as Torrey Smith, Brandon LaFell and Larry Fitzgerald are being selected.
As for Newton, he’s currently being drafted ninth overall among quarterbacks, per FantasyPros. Without Benjamin, that’s a bit rich.
Although rushing numbers will provide solace for owners who draft Newton, his passing numbers could be pretty volatile on a week-to-week basis. With quarterbacks like Eli Manning, Matthew Stafford, Ryan Tannehill and Philip Rivers, who have more polished receiving corps, being drafted behind Newton, his stock should tumble in the coming weeks as owners look to dodge uncertainty under center.
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