Legedu

Naanee

Naanee led the team with eight targets thanks to double coverage on Steve Smith. He could have added more run-after-catch yards, but had trouble staying on his feet. Naanee won’t be a recommended fantasy play against the Falcons in Week 6.

Evans is visiting team headquarters on Wednesday. Signing Evans or Naanee would presumably allow GM Gene Smith to focus on other positions early in next month’s draft. Evans is purely a downfield threat at this stage while Naanee is more effective near the line of scrimmage.

Signed by Carolina last August after he was allowed to walk by the Chargers, Naanee caught a career-high 44 passes for 467 yards and a touchdown but lost his starting job to Brandon LaFell down the stretch. A far better blocker than receiver, Naanee brings a slot/possession skill set to a team that already has Brian Hartline and Davone Bess. Five months shy of his 29th birthday, Naanee will do little or nothing to remedy one of the league’s worst receiver corps, and is off the radar in fantasy football leagues.

Naanee participated in the Dolphins’ workouts on Tuesday. He’s not expected to play a major role in Joe Philbin’s offense this season.

Naanee was one of the least effective starting receivers in football last season with Carolina, eventually losing his job to Brandon LaFell. He’d add no more than a veteran, possession-type presence to a poor Miami receiver corps.

Rivera’s phrasing suggests there’s no official changing of the guard even with Naanee (Achilles) practicing this week. LaFell is a borderline WR3 option against the Bucs this week. If he plays well, LaFell could convince Rivera to make the change permanent.

Naanee had two catches for 12 yards prior to the injury. Armanti Edwards replaces him in the lineup.

Naanee’s catches weren’t meaningful. The majority of them came after the Panthers fell behind by three scores and entered hurry-up mode. Even though he continues to play ahead of Brandon LaFell, Naanee isn’t a quality add. Over the last four games, he’s averaging 4.5 catches for 44.0 yards with no touchdowns.

Naanee had an ugly drop early, but picked up his production in the fourth quarter with Steve Smith drawing extra attention. While the coaches love Naanee for his willingness to block, he’s not a fantasy factor as the Panthers’ second receiver.

He also completed a 27-yard throw to Cam Newton after a sort of inverted flea-flicker trick play. Naanee played behind Brandon LaFell (3-64), but they are canceling each other out for fantasy purposes. The touchdown was Naanee’s first all season. He won’t be a fantasy option in Week 14 against the Falcons.