Carolina Panthers Pursued WR Santana Moss

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — With all the offensive focus on the drafting of Cam Newton, the return of disgruntled receiver Steve Smith, the re-signing of DeAngelo Williams and the upgrade at the tight end position, the Panthers' No. 2 receiver position has been overlooked at their training camp in Wofford.

Not by the team's front office, however.

he Panthers agreed to terms Thursday with free agent wideout Legedu Naanee, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.

Naanee, 27, caught 23 passes for 371 yards and a touchdown in 10 games last year with the Chargers. The 6-2, 220-pound Naanee is another player with ties to former San Diego assistant Rob Chudzinski, the Panthers' offensive coordinator.

Naanee will compete at the No. 2 spot with three second-year receivers – Brandon LaFell, David Gettis and Armanti Edwards. LaFell and Gettis combined for 75 catches and 976 receiving yards in 2010, but both are currently sidelined with hamstring injuries. Naanee's arrival could speed the healing process.

Gettis is faster than LaFell and could be a better fit in Chudzinski's West Coast offense, which will feature a lot of vertical stretch routes.
Edwards, the former Appalachian State quarterback who struggled mightily as a rookie, has been of the biggest camp surprises. But coaches want to see how Edwards performs in preseason games.

Click here to order Santana Moss’s proCane Rookie Card.


(sportingnews.com)