Carolina Panthers’ biggest need going into the 2010 offseason and NFL Draft

Most would agree that wide receiver was the Carolina Panthers' biggest need going into the 2010 offseason and NFL Draft. In some ways the fans got more than they bargained for, and in some ways they were left wanting more.

I classify myself as one who was left wanting more.

LSU wide receiver Brandon LaFell, was a good draft pick. Some would say it was a great pick, but I say it was good. Mainly because of his injury past. Injuries scare me. They keep me on edge, making me wonder how this selection will pan out. At this point I'm hoping for the best, but preparing for what I hope doesn't occur — the worst.

LaFell has great blocking abilities, and is a fast receiver. Combined, He is like Moose 10.0. He has great straight-line speed, and blocking capabilities. My question is, can he go across the middle and make a catch in traffic? Because it's not always going to be straight-line or curl routes that he's running, fending off one or two defenders.

The Panthers' next pick in the third-round, was Appalachian State quarterback, Armanti Edwards. Edwards was an interesting pick at first. Initially, I thought he was being drafted to compete with the quarterbacks. Then I learned he was a player in transition, moving from quarterback to learn the wide receiver position.

Suffice to say, Edwards is a project at this point. Depending on his learning capacity and rate of transition, will determine when he plays and how often he sees the field. To start things off, Edwards is primed to be the teams primary kickoff returner. Depending on how quickly he learns the offense, he might be used at times as a slot receiver.

Competition at wide receiver is rather thick this year. One thing Carolina did, was address an area that was an obvious problem over the past couple of years (Steve Smith aside).

When I look at the stock of wideouts, I'm both blown away and very excited to see how this all comes together in the weeks ahead. There are five guys who attended a post-secondary school in the Carolina's, which is neat, considering it's "hometown" talent.

Also, have we forgotten Dexter Jackson, or has he completely fallen off the map with all the hype between Edwards and LaFell? Jackson is another guy whom the Panthers scooped up from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a couple years ago, but he and Edwards spent some time together on the same Appalachian State team for at least two years.

And then there is Dwayne Jarrett. Most fans have given up on him, a lot of fans are sick of reading his name, but he is still on the team, and having received very little attention (outside of being named a bust), is looking to turn things around on his end and have a productive 2010. He is in a contract year, after all. How will the pressure of playing for a new contract and more importantly, competing against some rookie talent that is showing more promise than he is, affect him?

Receivers Charly Martin and Kenneth Moore are looking to remain on the team as well, and could likely find a home once again in Carolina, though with such a large number of receivers in camp this year, it's hard to say Martin and K. Moore will be a lock to make the roster.

David Gettis, Trent Guy, and Oliver Young are the other three rookies trying to carve out a niche in the NFL.

Former New York Jet Wallace Wright has a feeling that he might see some time at wide receiver too, but right now has been issued the special teams title, so we'll see what happens there, too.

The Panthers will likely start the season with Matt Moore at quarterback, as Moore really impressed the organization with his play over the final five games, leading the Panthers to four wins in his five starts. The Panthers did draft Jimmy Clausen in the second round, and he will compete right away in training camp for the starting job with Moore.

The strength of this unit is the running game, as the Panthers have a deadly 1-2 punch in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. In 2009, Stewart led the way with 1,133 yards, but Williams was right behind him with 1,117 yards. This was the first time two backs from the same team both rushed for more than 1,100 yards. This duo will have to be even better in 2010 if they are going to win the NFC South.

Luckily for the Panthers, wide receiver Steve Smith will likely be ready for the start of the season, after breaking his arm playing flag football this offseason. Smith is the only proven weapon the Panthers have in the passing game, and they need him to bounce back with a big time season in 2010. The Panthers drafted LSU wide out Brandon LaFell , and he will battle Dwayne Jarrett for the No.2 spot.

The Panthers have one of the top offensive lines in the NFL heading into the 2010 season. Left tackle Jordan Gross is coming off a broken leg from last season, but is expected to be ready to go for training camp. The only change up front will come at right guard, as Mackenzy Bernadeau is expected to take over for the departed Keydrick Vincent.

The Panthers jerseys biggest loss this offseason was defensive end Julius Peppers, and there is no question that this team is going to miss his production this season. With Peppers gone, it leaves the Panthers pretty weak at the defensive end position. Veteran Tyler Brayton is back after starting 15 games in 2009, but he will have plenty of competition for his job from Everette Brown and Charles Johnson. The Panthers also lost starting defensive tackles Maake Kemoeatu and Damione Lewis. That leaves Louis Leonard, Tank Tyler, Corvey Irvin, and Nick Hayden fighting for playing time at the demanding positions inside.

The Panthers have one of the top middle linebackers in the game in Jon Beason, but will likely be without starting outside linebacker Thomas Davis for most of the upcoming season, and the team decided not to bring back 2009 starter Na'il Diggs. Heading into camp, it looks like Jamar Williams and James Anderson have the early edge to start.

In the secondary, the Panthers welcome back the starting duo of Richard Marshall and Chris Gamble at the two corner spots, but the Panthers football jerseys will have to make a change at free safety after trading Chris Harris back to the Bears. Sherrod Martin figures to take over for Harris, with Charles Godfrey back at strong safety.