The main story for the Carolina Panthers going into training camp is the status of the right arm of Cam Newton, and that is perfectly understandable. After all, Newton is the franchise quarterback and is coming off of arthroscopic shoulder surgery.
But in the midst of Newton's recovery, one thing a lot of people seem to be forgetting when it comes to the Panthers is their lack of receiving depth.
Sure, DJ Moore had a really impressive rookie season and is a potential breakout candidate going into 2019, but who is going to step up and be Carolina's No. 2 receiver this year?
To be fair, the Panthers aren't like the Baltimore Ravens. They actually have some interesting talent beyond Moore.
Curtis Samuel, for example, is entering his third season and is coming off of a 2018 campaign in which he caught 39 passes for 494 yards and five touchdowns. Hardly eye-opening numbers, but still solid for a 22-year-old who could get a big opportunity in 2019.
Then, there is Chris Hogan, one of the Panthers' free-agent signings. Hogan spent the last three years with the New England Patriots and has developed into a sure-handed slot receiver, but if he is one of your top options, you are probably going to have some problems.
This is where Carolina must buckle down and get things figured out.
It's obvious that Moore is going to the top guy, and that's fine. He looked good this past year, and he seems like he could seriously develop into a legitimate No. 1 receiver.
But you need more than just one reliable wide out.
So, going into training camp, the Panthers need to decide who their No. 2 receiver is going to be.
The smart money is probably on Samuel, as he is young, he had a decent year with Carolina in 2018 and gained some familiarity with Newton in the process and is likely the Panthers' second-most talented wide out overall.
But we can't just discount Hogan, and even veterans like Torrey Smith and Jarius Wright may have something to say about this subject.
The issue for Carolina is not necessarily not having options; it's that it doesn't have a ton of talent in the passing game as a whole, which could spell problems for the team going into 2019.
Still, the Panthers need to examine what they have and make a decision on who Newton's second target as far as receivers go will be, that way Newton and that wide out can really establish a connection in training camp.
There are a whole lot of question marks for Carolina going into this season, ranging from Newton's health to how effective the defense is going to be after a middling campaign in 2018.
But perhaps the biggest X-Factor here is how much Newton's receivers help him, especially if he isn't able to throw the deep ball as well as he once did.
Keep in mind that Newton has now undergone two shoulder surgeries since the end of 2016, so he may be a bit tentative to throw the ball down the field. That means his receivers are going to have to make plays, and outside of Moore, we don't really know for sure if any of them are able to do that on a consistent basis.
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