The Panthers’ sophomore wide receiver has shown flashes that give fans hope that he’ll put it all together in year three."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Keep Sounding PodcastPanthers 2019 NFL DraftCSR Film RoomPanthers 2018 season review: Curtis SamuelNew Stitched Julius Peppers Jersey ,14commentsThe Panthers’ sophomore wide receiver has shown flashes that give fans hope that he’ll put it all together in year three. ESTShareTweetShareSharePanthers 2018 season review: Curtis SamuelBob Donnan-USA TODAY SportsCurtis Samuel was a much better wide receiver for the Panthers in year two than he was in year one, but that isn’t saying much. He was a frequent absentee during camp and the preseason of his rookie year due to various ailments. When he played, he wasn’t great. When the regular season started, he didn’t play. The assumption was that he was still getting up to speed with all the things required of a rookie learning the NFL game. As the season went on, the coaching staff carved out some snaps for him, but they rarely amounted to much until the Monday night clash with the Miami Dolphins. Unfortunately for Samuel Youth Da’Norris Searcy Jersey , that night, and his season, were cut short due to a broken ankle he sustained early in the second half.2018 was going to be different. Samuel would come back healthy and be the speedy deep threat the Panthers missed when Ted Ginn Jr. left for New Orleans. The Panthers were finally going to have a dynamic threat in the middle of the field and a guy that could make plays with the ball in his hands. And then there was another medical problem. Samuel’s strong preseason was immediately succeeded by a minor surgery to address a heart murmur. He would again miss key reps early in the season. When he returned and got back up to speed, he was good, but he still has a long way to go. In the 2018 season, Samuel caught 39 of 65 targets for 494 yards and five touchdowns. He also carried the ball eight times for 84 yards and two scores. Samuel showed some surprising ability to high point contested catches deep down the field Blue James Bradberry Jersey , something that wasn’t supposed to be in his repertoire coming out of Ohio State. He was also dynamic in space as a ball carrier, like in this run against the Buccaneers. He had back to back 80+ yard receiving games in early December and showed his home run hitting prowess with a 53 yard touchdown against the Saints. But he still has a ways to go before he can be counted on as a reliable difference maker. He still displays poor catch technique, particularly when the ball is close to his body (He’s great when he’s forced to extend). He’s been downright bad after the catch- he had 102 yards after catch on 39 receptions (2.61 per catch) in 2018. For comparison, known YAC machine Greg Olsen had 91 yards of YAC on 27 receptions (3.37 per catch) coming off a broken foot. He still hasn’t shaken the injury bug- he started showing up on the injury report late in the season with hamstring troubles. There are reasons to like Samuel’s game and be optimistic about his future. He’s a deep threat with speed to burn, he’s still very young, and he had some strong moments in 2018. There are also reasons to be bearish on his ability to make a consistent impact for the Panthers. He has a lot of holes in his game James Bradberry Jersey 2019 , and he needs to prove he can stay healthy long enough to fix those holes.As is the case with many NFL prospects, year three looks like the make or break year for him. The Panthers have added a familiar face to the running back room on a one-year deal."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Keep Sounding PodcastPanthers 2019 NFL DraftCSR Film RoomCarolina Panthers free agency 2019Carolina Panthers re-sign running back Cameron Artis-Payne to one-year contractNew,187commentsThe Panthers have added a familiar face to the running back room on a one-year deal.EDTShareTweetShareShareCarolina Panthers re-sign running back Cameron Artis-Payne to one-year contractThe Carolina Panthers have re-signed free agent running back Cameron Artis-Payne to a one-year contract, the team has announced.Artis-Payne is excited to stay in Carolina for one more year.The Panthers drafted Artis-Payne in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft and he has been used as a backup option to Jonathan Stewart and Christian McCaffrey ever since. He only has 118 carries for 491 yards and five touchdowns since joining the Panthers, but when he does get a chance to play he shows positive traits that would normally encourage the coaches to give him more playing time. For unknown reasons, however Stitched Da’Norris Searcy Jersey , that additional playing time has never materialized.Unless this is a super cheap one-year deal, this is a puzzling move by the Panthers since the coaching staff never uses Artis-Payne on game day unless a minimum of four other running backs have been injured. I guess Ron Rivera wants to take an opportunity to get another look at what CAP can do for the Panthers this season. Whether we actually get that look or not is yet to be determined.What do you think, Panthers fans? Do you like this move? Share your thoughts with us.