Carolina Panthers add veteran wide receiver, return specialist

The Carolina Panthers have added a veteran presence in their locker room and on special teams. According to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson, the Panthers have agreed to a deal with veteran wide receiver and return specialist Andre Roberts.

The 34-year-old return specialist out of The Citadel — a college located in Charleston, SC — agreed to a one-year deal with Carolina. Although he won’t be playing in his home state, Roberts heading to North Carolina will be less than 100 miles away from home.

Roberts has been one of the more dangerous return men in the NFL over the past three seasons and has the accolades to prove it. In three of the past four years, 2018, 2020, and 2021, he finished each season as an All-Pro selection. Also, from 2018 to 2020, he was named to the NFL Pro Bowl. And in the 2018 and 2021 seasons, Roberts led the NFL in kickoff return yards.

The former third-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2010 NFL Draft has bounced around the league since being drafted. After playing his first four years in Arizona, he played for Washington, Detroit, Atlanta, the New York Jets, Buffalo, Houston, and most recently, the Los Angeles Chargers. With Roberts heading to the Panthers, he should add an instant boost to the return game. Carolina averaged just 22.1 yards per kickoff return last year, which was good for 17th best in the NFL.

Matt Corral states his intentions with Carolina Panthers following 2022 NFL Draft

Selecting Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral with the No. 94 overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers are setting up a quarterback battle for the 2022 season. However, they still have former New York Jet Sam Darnold, who has received some votes of confidence this offseason from the Panthers staff.

Reporters asked the newest Panthers quarterback his intentions for year one. They also wanted to know how he plans to approach his first NFL quarterback battle.

“My approach is just to be the best I can be each and every day, get one percent better every day,” Corral said. “My competitive nature is obviously going to want me to be the starter and I’m going to do everything in my power to do that, I’m just going to put my best foot forward and again, just let God take control.”

The Panthers traded the No. 137 overall pick and a future third-rounder to the New England Patriots for the No. 94 pick.

Corral was a former four-star recruit according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average. Corral was fifth amongst quarterbacks in the 2018 recruiting class.