Barring a series of injuries, the Carolina Panthers will cut wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. A second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the LSU product entered the league after a breakout season where he established himself as the top option in the Tigers offense. After playing second-fiddle to two top-five receivers in Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase early in his college days, Carolina believed that Marshall had what it took to be a reliable threat on the perimeter.
Unfortunately, those talents did not translate to the professional level. While he showed some promise in 2022 with Sam Darnold under center, the wide receiver has largely failed to make an impact on an underwhelming depth chart. Last year, the former second-round pick recorded just 19 receptions for 139 yards and no touchdowns on 33 targets. Seeing as the Panthers added Diontae Johnson and first-round pick Xavier Legette, it’s safe to assume that Carolina will cut Terrace Marshall before the start of the season.
However, despite the slow start to his career, this might not be the end of the road. Several teams across the league could take a risk on Terrace Marshall if the Panthers cut him, and the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers make the most sense.
Chiefs, Chargers Could Fight For Terrace Marshall If Cut
The Los Angeles Chargers could use anyone with a working set of hands. 2023 first-round pick Quentin Johnston crashed and burned last year with a historically bad rookie season. Perhaps he can bounce back in 2024, but betting on outliers is a great way to go broke. Ladd McConkey has some promise, but a rookie second-round pick alone cannot power a championship-caliber offense.
Chances are, Terrace Marshall won’t won’t out for the Chargers if the Panthers cut him. However, it can’t hurt to kick the tires. The Chargers don’t have a single proven weapon in this offense and might as well throw the kitchen sink at the receiver position and hope something works out. Marshall has a similar skillset to former Charger Mike Williams, and if Jim Harbaugh can bring out the best in him, the LSU product could fit right into that old role.
A Super Bowl Depth Piece
Rashee Rice will miss a sizable portion of the season following his offseason of crime. Marquise Brown is a fine player and a clear upgrade on Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Xavier Worthy has some promise, but this team could use more depth. Kansas City is one injury away from turning to Kadarius Toney or Skyy Moore, which is terrible news for a team hoping to win a third Super Bowl in as many years. Terrace Marshall might not be good enough for the Carolina Panthers, but the cut candidate can’t be much worse than those two.
Once again, there’s usually a reason that a team with as little talent as the Panthers would cut a player like Terrace Marshall. However, even if he can’t earn a spot on the active roster, one of these teams should consider giving him an opportunity on the 90-man roster or the practice squad once the regular season kicks off.
Main Photo: Bob Donnan – USA Today Sports
