On April 12, the Carolina Panthers brought in wide receiver Chris Hogan on a one-year contract.
Hogan, who spent the last three seasons with the New England Patriots, will bring a lot to the field, including the experience of working with arguably the most successful and prolific quarterback in NFL history, Tom Brady. With that experience comes two Super Bowl championships.
However, Hogan is excited to be joining a team that has Cam Newton at the helm. Hogan said (via the Panthers’ official website), “I’m really excited about it, I’ve been in the building for just a short period of time, and everyone that has talked to me about Cam has said he’s just the ultimate competitor and wants to do whatever he can to win football games. Him and Tom are very similar in that respect. I know I’m going to enjoy getting to work with him and being on the same field as him. He’s an incredible athlete. I’m really excited about the opportunity.”
Hogan hails from Wyckoff, N.J., and joined the NFL as an undrafted free agent but only as a practice squad member for the first two seasons with three different teams: the San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants, and the Miami Dolphins. His latest gig with the Patriots has proven where his talent lies and adds even more depth to the roster for Newton.
A few standout notables of Hogan are simple but very effective. He has an undeniable ability to get separation, make himself an open target and rack up yards. It’s not uncommon for Hogan to break into first downs with an average of 15-17 yards over the last three years per reception. In 2018, he had an average of 1.41 yards of separation, which is a better stat than any other current Panthers receivers held (with the exception of Jarius Wright).
The addition of Hogan to the roster is just another example of what direction David Tepper, Marty Hurney, and Ron Rivera intend to take this team going not only into the 2019 season but even further. They are intending on building a quality team not just for now, but for years to come and the only logical way to make that happen is to have the true essence of championship players on your roster. That appears to be what the fans are witnessing with the depth being added in the offseason including with the signing of Hogan.
On April 8, the Panthers also signed Rashad Ross, who is also a welcome addition to the receiver core. Both of these signings will back up Curtis Samuel and D.J. Moore and joining the remaining receiving core which includes Wright and Torrey Smith.
