Ron Rivera has said that he is looking to the Draft for new wide receivers for the Carolina Panthers.
Three of the NFC South side's top four receivers from the 2013 season are due to become free agents next month, while Steve Smith turns 35 before the start of the 2014 campaign.
The head coach told the team's official website: "Wide receiver, offensive line, defensive secondary, defensive line, it is deep. You've got to look at all the options going forward. The biggest thing is to go through the Combine right now, evaluate the talent that's out there, see who they are.
"We're going to look for a guy that's very dynamic and that can come in and contribute right away. A lot of these guys were in offenses where they played one position and one position only, and they run a combination of routes, and that's it. As you get out and watch the wide receivers, you try to find guys that can run different combinations of routes.
"We as a coaching staff have to come away feeling really good about these young receivers that are Draft-eligible. Were they in the kind of system that gave them a chance to grow and learn how to do those things, or are these guys that are going to have to start from scratch? We have to find guys that we believe understand what we do so their transition into our offense can be easy."
The Panthers have the 28th pick in the first round of May's Draft.
Sian Cowper
