Perhaps the greatest attribute Will Grier brought with him from West Virginia is the touch on his deep passes. Watch the Panthers’ second-year quarerback connect with wide receiver Pharoh Cooper on a long ball with Jeremy Chinn in coverage at practice on Sunday.
Chinn is going to take his lumps from time to time, as he has a steep learning curve coming from the level of competition he faced at Southern Illinois. However, his athleticism and ability to line up at several positions should earn him a long-term spot with this defense.
As for Grier, he will be battling P.J. Walker for the right to be the No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart behind Teddy Bridgewater over these next few weeks. If he doesn’t win that competition, he’ll be an excellent candidate for one of the four protected practice squad positions.
Meanwhile, Cooper has some more competition to deal with.
The team just signed former Saints receiver/returner Tommylee Lewis, who does many of the same things although not as well. Cooper has been primarily a special teams contirbutor in his career, having only caught 50 passes. The more he can offer on offense, the better.
