Injuries are hitting hard early in the NFL which causing shifts and additions to NFL roster. Season-ending injuries have been a major storyline in the preseason which is causing several teams to load up on depth and push younger players to the forefront of the depth chart. The Carolina Panthers and Green Bay Packers are two of the teams dealing with issues as fantasy football owners would be wise to take a look at their lesser-known receiving options.
The Packers are moving on from the loss of Jordy Nelson who suffered a season-ending ACL tear. Green Bay has yet to add anyone to the roster. They did make a call on Reggie Wayne prior to the receiver signing with the New England Patriots. Instead, the Packers are pushing their depth first and foremost as Randall Cobb believes he will be able to handle the extra workload as he stresses the depth on the roster.
"I don't think that is an issue," Cobb said, via ESPN.com. "I pressed last year in the beginning of the season, and I'm not going to do that again. There's no need for that. Aaron's going to do his job, he's going to get us the ball. It's my job when I get those opportunities to make things happen. We're a couple of weeks out from the season opener now, and we need to know who we can count on. Who are the guys that are going to step up and make those plays for us in those critical times during the season? We have to find that out. There's not a lot of time."
Outside of Randall, Ty Montgomery, Davante Adams and Jeff Janis will be the three rotational players for Rodgers to work with. Second-round pick Adams will be a starter and is a leading candidate to make the leap this upcoming season. He will need to live up to that hype in the wake of Nelson's injury. Montgomery is a rookie with a lot of promise while many people he is a bigger version of Cobb.
The Panthers are also hoping a young receiver can step up in the wake of Kelvin Benjamin's ACL tear. Devin Funchess is currently dealing with a hamstring injury that is keeping him off the field while Cam Newton is hopeful that with the right guidance the rookie can step up in a big way.
"He's a guy that wants to be great," Newton said, via the Charlotte Observer. "We talk often. I'm pretty much a person that he can trust and that I know I can trust when the game comes on the line. We just need to get him to 100 percent. I have full confidence in Devin that he gets it, sooner rather than later."
Outside of Funchess, Jarrett Boykin moves up the depth chart along with veteran Tedd Ginn JR. Greg Olsen will be the main passing threat moving forward.
