Can Gary Jennings Make the Panthers' Roster?
Making it to the NFL is a difficult feat to accomplish. Sticking in the NFL is even harder. If anyone knows that it's former West Virginia wide receiver Gary Jennings.
Since being drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Jennings has bounced all over the place playing for the Dolphins, Ravens, Bills, Colts, Raiders, Chiefs, and the St. Louis BattleHawks of the XFL.
After hauling in 11 passes for 149 yards and three touchdowns in nine games with the BattleHawks, Jennings received an invite to workout with the Carolina Panthers at OTAs and impressed the staff enough to sign him to the roster.
Despite playing for several teams, Jennings has only been active for one game in his NFL career which came in 2019 with the Dolphins. So, will history repeat itself or will Jennings get another chance at playing in a regular season game?
The truth of the matter is, it's going to be an uphill battle for Jennings.
No, the Panthers don't have a true No. 1 receiver on the roster and you could argue that they don't have much star power at the position. Instead, they have a mix of guys that are either past their prime (Adam Thielen), have injury concerns (DJ Chark), or are still trying to find their role/live up to their potential (Terrace Marshall Jr./Laviska Shenault). Throw in second-round pick Jonathan Mingo and veteran Damiere Byrd, and there's really no room for Jennings if the room stays healthy.
This doesn't mean Jennings won't ever get his chance in Carolina, though. It's likely that Jennings would clear waivers and end up right back with the Panthers on the practice squad. He spent a little bit of time with head coach Frank Reich and passing game coordinator Parks Frazier in Indianapolis, so they know what he brings to the table.
Plus, Reich likes to spread the ball out in his offense and could carry as many as seven receivers on the roster. Injuries happen and over the course of a 17-game season, the Panthers will probably need to pull up a receiver off the practice squad and Jennings could be that guy if he impresses during training camp and in preseason play.
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