The Carolina Panthers don’t have a blueprint for Laviska Shenault Jr., yet and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Head coach Frank Reich spoke with reporters following the team’s first outing of training camp on Wednesday. When asked about using the versatile wide receiver in a gadget-type role—similar to how he used Parris Campbell and Nyheim Hines in Indianapolis—Reich said they’re looking to use Laviska as Laviska.
“We do think Laviska’s a guy that can be versatile,” he stated of the fourth-year receiver, who took a few reps out of the backfield this morning. “And I think as an offensive staff, we’ve all had experience with guys that we’ve had. But we have to look at Laviska for him, and for how it fits in our offense. So we’ll dip our toe in the water in some of that stuff and see how it goes.
“And that’s something that doesn’t have to be in full bloom Week 1. That can be in the beginning stages in training camp and then the more success and momentum it gets, you build it. So that’d be more likely the path.”
Back in June, Reich previously compared Shenault Jr. to San Francisco’s Deebo Samuel, another big-bodied dual threat that has some chops as a ball carrier. He suggested that Shenault Jr. could do some “stuff” similar to what Samuel has done for the 49ers.
But, for now, that stuff is in development.
