For weeks, pundits have been saying that one of the issues with the Carolina Panthers offense is that they have been missing a speed option to “take the top off the defense”. Many hoped that the solution would come in the form of wide receiver Damiere Byrd until he broke his forearm in New England and landed on injured reserve; they then turned to rookie wide receiver Curtis Samuel, who had missed most of training camp and the preseason with a lingering hamstring issue. But ahead of the Panthers suddenly-important game in Tampa Bay this Sunday, the Panthers have added a familiar option they hope may be able to add something to their once-potent offense that has suddenly grown stagnant in the past two weeks.
Kaelin Clay, a third-year wide receiver from Utah, was claimed off waivers from the Buffalo Bills after spending the entire preseason with the Panthers and battling for a roster spot before ultimately being traded ahead of the team’s Week 1 matchup with San Francisco. Clay was traded along with a 2019 seventh-round pick to the Bills for cornerback Kevon Seymour, who has solidified the Panthers cornerback group and even challenged second-year corner Daryl Worley for his starting job. To make room on the roster for Clay, safety Demetrious Cox was placed on IR with an ankle injury he has been battling since Week 4; when Cox was injured, the Panthers added veteran safety Jairus Byrd to bolster their depth at the position.
Clay, who ran a 4.45 40-yard dash at his 2015 NFL Pro Day before being selected in the sixth round, will presumably take the snaps and role that Damiere Byrd was occupying before his injury in Week 4 once he is able to become reintegrated with the offense. Byrd, after starring in the preseason, was targeted four times and rushed once for 12 yards while being on the field between 20-30% of the snaps in just over three games of playing time. The Panthers have only activated four wide receivers for every game since Byrd was injured, but had five active for the first three weeks of the season.
Clay, like Byrd, can also contribute as either a kick or punt returner if necessary as he did in the preseason with seven total returns; he also led the team in receiving yards during the preseason, including a 47-yard diving catch that was originally called a touchdown on the field.
