Panthers wide receiver Curtis Samuel’s rookie season came to an early end due to an ankle injury that required a surgical repair.
Word early in the offseason was that the hope was for Samuel to be ready to return at training camp in August, but that schedule may have been pushed up a little bit. Multiple reports from Carolina’s OTA practice on Tuesday have Samuel on the field going through drills and Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer shared a video that showed the 2017 second-round pick running well.
Samuel was acquired in order to provide the Panthers with a versatile weapon that was lacking them heading into last season, but his impact was limited to 15 catches, four carries and 10 kickoff returns before he went down for the year.
The Panthers drafted another receiver early this year when they took DJ Moore in the first round and the team brought in veterans Torrey Smith and Jarius Wright to go with Devin Funchess, so Samuel’s role on offense this season isn’t clear. A full offseason of work should help his chances of finding one and making good on the potential he showed while at Ohio State.
