Teddy Bridgewater will have plenty of weapons at his disposal as he attempts to become the Panthers’ new franchise quarterback when this season begins. He’s got the most talented running back in the NFL, a deep and capable wide receiver group and a dynamic, young offensive coordinator calling the plays.
One thing Bridgewater doesn’t have a lot of though is the traditional red zone weapon type of receiver. Big-bodied wideouts haven’t done too well in Carolina in recent years, but there’s nothing wrong with being tall and having a wide catch radius. The current playmakers at the position are fast. None of them are particularly large though, especially now that undrafted rookie Omar Bayless is out following knee surgery.
Tight end would normally be where you’d go to find that answer. This year, there are only questions. Ian Thomas has potential. However, his catch rate is worrisome enough that there’s no guarantee he will have a significant role in this offense. The team’s No. 2 tight end Chris Manherz is an elite blocker. However, he’s never been much of a pass-catcher.
Teddy is trying to help fix that. Bridgewater stayed late again after Wednesday night’s practice at Bank of America Stadium. He was the last player off the field again. Manhertz was the second to last and Bridgewater was spotted coaching him up on his route running.
Practice had been over for around a half hour. Teddy Bridgewater is still out here with TE Chris Manhertz working on his route running. pic.twitter.com/dxHEU0RAxz
— Alaina Getzenberg (@agetzenberg) August 27, 2020
When he was asked about Manhertz at today’s press conference, Bridgewater said he believes he can be an effective red zone target.
Bridegewater says he’s been working with TE Chris Manhertz to “change his mindset a little bit,” meaning Manhertz can be more than just a blocking TE. Says Manhertz can be an effective red zone target #Panthers
— Myles Simmons (@MylesASimmons) August 28, 2020
Manhertz has scored one touchdown each of the last three seasons, including on a trick play pass from Christian McCaffrey. Time will tell if Bridgewater and Brady can turn him into more than just a full-time blocker and occasional gadget play option.
