Shi Smith Emerging Into a Breakout Star in Carolina?

The second-year receiver is making play after play and is ready for an increased role.

Will the Panthers' No. 3 wide receiver be Rashard Higgins? Terrace Marshall Jr.? What about Shi Smith?

If anyone would have mentioned Smith in this conversation as early as two weeks ago, I wouldn't have taken it very seriously. Now, it's a legitimate possibility. He's been making play after play and is becoming a better all-around receiver. Ben McAdoo is now lining him up outside here and there rather than just strictly in the slot and he's still doing damage against the first-team defense. He is turning heads and dropping jaws on a daily basis at practice.

"Shi Smith, to me, is one of the true, true bright spots of this camp," said head coach Matt Rhule. "I mean, you talk about a guy that's made huge strides. In terms of playmakers in our offense, I think he's at the top. I trust him as a kick returner and he's developing as a punt returner. He's still becoming comfortable catching [punts] and I think that's something you can really only do live. That's why we've given him so many punt catches even late in the games because we want him to get those reps. Shi has come a long way as a returner and I think he's still coming a long way as a receiver."

The biggest thing for Smith is staying healthy and taking care of his body. According to Rhule, that's going to be the only thing that can prevent him from being a big-time playmaker in this offense. He's learning to go get treatment regularly instead of just doing it whenever an injury pops up. 

As far as the on-the-field stuff is concerned, he's spent a lot of time talking with teammate Rashard Higgins and former Panthers receiver Steve Smith. 

"Rashard is going into his seventh year. He's telling me little tips on how to study. We talk about releases and what to do in my route with my hands and stuff like that," Smith said. "I got Steve's number. We met up outside the building before. We talk about ball. We talk about life. We talk about plans down the road. When we were in New England, we talked about me using my hands more during my routes. Same thing Higgs said. Same conversation.

"I feel like camp has been good so far. Just going out and executing at a high level. Gaining trust from the coaches and the QB. As far as this year, I feel like I've got more confidence and I'm in the playbook more so I know what I got to do when I go out there. A lot of late nights, early mornings up in the playbook. I know what I can do, it's just about being consistent."

In addition to becoming more of a factor in the offense, Smith has also received a ton of kick and punt return reps during the preseason and is challenging the 34-year-old veteran Andre Roberts for that job. 

"He's caught punts in all of the preseason games. He had a good kickoff return against Washington. I trust him as a kick returner and he's developing as a punt returner. He's still becoming more comfortable catching [punts] and I think that's something you can only do live. That's why the preseason games have been so good for him. That's why we've given him so many punt catches because we want him to get those reps."

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