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Carolina Panthers: D.J. Moore is most underutilized WR in NFL

By Erik Lambert

ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 16: DJ Moore #12 of the Carolina Panthers runs after a catch during the first half against the Carolina Panthers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on September 16, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 16: DJ Moore #12 of the Carolina Panthers runs after a catch during the first half against the Carolina Panthers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on September 16, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images) /
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The Carolina Panthers offense has done a lot of good things so far this season, but it’s fair to ask whether they’ve been reaching their full potential.

Thus far the two primary threats in the passing game for Cam Newton has been wide receiver Devin Funchess and running back Christian McCaffrey. Getting Greg Olsen back to 100% healthy will be a big benefit down the line but even then it feels like the Panthers are underachieving. A big reason for that may be their inability to get 1st round pick D.J. Moore going.

Thus far he has 10 catches for 162 yards. His explosiveness has been evident every time he touches the ball. This might explain why Pro Football Focus and ESPN ranked him as the most underutilized receiver in the NFL. For all that he brings to the table, the Panthers have shortchanged themselves by not getting the ball to him more.

"“A player that is legitimately being underutilized by his offense is Moore — a Carolina rookie whose overall PFF grade heading into Week 6 was 78.1, which would have been a top-20 mark if he had enough snaps to qualify for the rankings. This week he saw five targets, catching four of them, but made a critical mistake in fumbling the ball after a nice catch-and-run. Over the season, Moore has now caught 10 passes on 13 targets, moving the chains five times and notching eight “explosive plays” (receptions of 15 or more yards).”"

Panthers have ignored one of Moore’s best attributes to this point

One big thing the Panthers have not taken full advantage of is how good Moore is after the catch. It was one of his biggest benefits coming out of college. Not only is he fast but he’s built strong, able to break tackles and keep on going. He should be used more on screens, slants, and even reverses or jet sweeps. Whatever it takes to get the football in his grasp.

This falls to offensive coordinator Norv Turner. While he’s great developing the quarterback, as evidenced by Newton’s sharp play, he isn’t known for being the most creative with his schemes. He’s more of a traditionalist when it comes to utilizing his wide receivers. That would help to explain why the progress of Moore has been so slow to this point. Turner needs to start opening himself up to new ideas because he’s holding back a lot of what this offense can do.

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