Terrace Marshall Jr. Shows That He Can Be a 'Big Play' Guy

Is this the year for TMJ to break loose?

Terrace Marshall Jr. hasn't quite lived up to expectations through the first two years of his career but has been held back by injuries and limited opportunities. 

Once Matt Rhule was fired last October, Marshall immediately became a key piece of the Panthers' offense hauling in 43 receptions for 460 yards and a touchdown. Prior to Rhule's firing, Marshall caught just four passes for 30 yards.

With Frank Reich now on the sideline and Bryce Young under center, this could be the year where we finally see Marshall make that leap and become a top option in the passing game.

"I think it's just a matter of him getting more play time and making those plays consistently," Reich said earlier this week. "I think we saw that last year with the reps he got, the catches that he had, the big plays that he had. He shows that capacity to kind of be a big-play guy."

And Reich is 100% right. Marshall can be that homerun threat for this offense. He averaged 17.5 yards per reception last season in an offense that predicated itself on playing smashmouth football rather than airing it out. With better QB play and more creativity from a play-calling standpoint, it's easy to see why Marshall is a favorite to be a breakout player on this roster. He has the size, speed, and ability to win one on one matchups consistently, and for a rookie quarterback, that's music to the ears.

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