When Kelvin Benjamin tore his ACL, most people looked to second-round pick Devin Funchess as the likeliest replacement for Benjamin in the lineup because the rookie’s size gave him a similar presence on the field.
Any Benjamin impersonations will come in a reserve role against the Jaguars in Week One, however. Panthers coach Ron Rivera said Monday that the team will start Ted Ginn and Philly Brown at wideout to kick off the season while Funchess, who had a hamstring injury this summer, is the third man in the mix.
Even with Funchess missing time this summer, seeing Brown’s name in the lineup is a bit of a surprise on a couple of fronts. He struggled with drops in preseason games and practices, which seemed to push him closer to the waiver wire than the first team. Of course, those drops came while Brown was going by his given name of Corey and Rivera’s announcement had Brown going back to his previous moniker.
“Philly catches the ball,” Rivera said, via Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer. “Corey’s a nice, young man.”
Whatever you’re calling him, Brown’s performance this summer would have gotten him cut from a lot of teams. The Panthers didn’t have that luxury, but improvement is going to have to come quickly for both Brown and Funchess if Carolina’s going to have success moving the ball through the air to players not named Greg Olsen this season.
