Former Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith thinks that Greg Olsen's injury can benefit the team in the long run.

Smith elaborated on his thoughts on WFMZ, a local sports radio station in Charlotte, North Carolina. He had tons to say about the depth and young talent the Panthers have at their disposal.

From WFNZ:

“I think that can be a gift and a curse,” said Smith. “The curse is you lose one of your playmakers. Here's the gift: You got (Devin) Funchess, you got Torrey (Smith), you have the kid (Jarius) Wright, No. 13. My question is, where the hell was my spirit animal D.J. Moore?! And that has to do with because of Greg Olsen, what he does and how he can play. Maybe this is a gift and a curse. The curse is you lose one of your playmakers, but the gift is you get one of your young players who you drafted in the first round. And a first-round draft pick is instant grits. All you need is the ball/hot water, and you got a meal.”

Smith might be onto something. The team did reach an 11-5 record without Olsen for a majority of the season the last time he went down. They also achieved this despite the limited production they got from Kelvin Benjamin. Losing their star tight end may help them discover more ways they can win. This will only make the team that much more dangerous when Olsen returns.

At 6-foot-5, Funchess is a serious jump-ball threat. Moore was the first receiver selected in the 2018 NFL Draft when the Panthers selected him No. 24 overall. If the other receivers and Christian McCaffrey step it up, the Panthers could debut an interesting new dynamic to their offense when they get Olsen back.