Ted Ginn’s time in Carolina shouldn’t be a sad memory. It wasn’t for him, anyway. His best years as a pro were in Carolina. He was an integral part of the 2015 Super Bowl team and, although there is the sting of loss, that season represents the pinnacle of Carolina and his as a receiver. There’s a sad side to Ginn and Carolina, however. Frankly, Ginn was an average player and, as Joe Menzer once stated, “one of the most frustrating players to watch.” The saddest part is that Ginn is arguably a Top-5 wideout in Carolina history. Sure, some have had better overall careers, but it’s hard to find five players who produced more in their time in black and blue than Ginn. Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad top the list, and three consecutive 1000-yard receiving seasons earn DJ Moore the third stop. After him, things get murky. Number four is debatable between names like Ricky Proehl and Mark Carrier, but that discussion is based more on outside notoriety rather than what they did in Carolina. Then come the names like Brandon Lafell, Ted Ginn, Jr., Kelvin Benjamin, and even Devin Funchess. This is when it gets really depressing. I don’t want this to be a hit piece on Ginn, but the simple fact that he is among names in contention for a Top 5 wideout says a lot. The only consensus outside of the top three is mediocrity.

Carolina’s history is short, but it feels like forever since they fielded a formidable wide receiver group. Steve Smith and Mushin Muhammad are the only ones of note outside of tight Greg Olsen, which only makes the narrative more depressing. Almost as soon as the Panthers lost that 2003 Super Bowl, they started trying to recreate that type of magic, and it’s been underwhelming. Smitty’s personality probably didn’t help to bring along a younger talent. The blankest of stares from Dywane Jarrett probably called for unparalleled restraining from Smith. Outside Smith and Muhammad, the Panthers have never had a guy who was a significant contributor other than DJ Moore. That’s why trading Moore to the Bears hurts so much. Moore may not have found the endzone while in Carolina, but he’s been the most productive wideout fielded since they released Steve Smith.

In 2013 I was at a sports bar talking to a friend about how the speedy Ginn had the potential to jumpstart the Carolina Panthers offense. Carolina was playing the Dolphins that day. A Miami fan sitting close by overheard the conversation and leaned in, and simply stated, “He’s got stone hands.” He wasn’t trying to be mean, perhaps a bit direct, but he was only being honest. He was right. Ginn finished the day with only three catches for 11 yards on ten targets. Ginn did have stone hands and continuously dropped wide-open catch after wide-open catch while in Carolina. Hell, if Ginn had average hands, he would have likely been among the top-three receivers in team history. Carolina wouldn’t have let him walk in 2016, either. Ginn did two stints with the Panthers, a year in 2013 and then in 2015-16. In that time, he had 134 receptions for 2,047 and 19 TDs. Devin Funchess was the only receiver of Panthers players with more yards than Ginn (outside of Smith and Muhammad) that had more touchdowns, and that was only by 2 with an additional season of play. Ginn played fewer games than all the players who exceeded him in yards except Kelvin Benjamin.

Tedd Ginn, Jr

Ricky Proehl

Devin Funchess

It’s probably time to step back from the ledge because it gets worse. Carolina may have the worst receiving corps history in the NFL. If we were simply to compare receivers based on yards and touchdowns, Carolina falls behind even Jacksonville. Both the Jaguars and the Panthers came as expansion teams. Carolina has had far more success, making two Super Bowl appearances, but the Jaguars aren’t incredibly far behind. Jacksonville has made it to the AFC Championship three times. They haven’t made it to the Super Bowl, but they have had some runs and a better overall history of receivers than the Carolina Panthers. Steve Smith is the only reason the Panthers have any semblance of a respectable receiving corps history. Jacksonville’s Jimmy Smith was on a similar trajectory as Smitty, just with a slightly shorter career. I guess the Smiths just make for pretty damn good receivers.

Steve Smith, Sr.

Jimmy Smith

There is one team who has a sadder story than Carolina at wide receiver, and that’s the Chicago Bears. Their all-time pass catcher was Johnny Morris, with only had 5,059 yards and 31 touchdowns, and he was a running back who last played in 197. Their next best is Alshon Jeffery, with only 4,945 and 26 touchdowns. Talk about a miserable history at the position. It’s a litany of unimpressive stats, and the only ones that turn out to be worth talking about are either tight ends or running backs or played before the 1960s. Before Carolina fans start laughing at Bears fans’ expense, it’s humbling to remember that without Steve Smith and Mushin Muhammed, the Bears and the Panthers' history is a bunch of a bunch of competing Ted Ginn, Jrs. -- sub 3k receivers who really mediocre at best.

This wasn’t a fun reflection about the Carolina Panthers, nor meant to be a Ted Ginn hit piece. I’m confident this take will get blowback one way or another. On the one hand, many people contend that Ginn isn’t a Top-5 Panthers receiver. There is an argument for their position, but there is also a valid argument he should be considered in the Top 5. Other people will take issue with the idea that this example doesn’t exemplify Carolina’s paltry history at wide receiver. Those individuals, however, will have to rely on Smith and Muhammad carrying the Panthers' water and make the case that the team’s history is young and better than the Bears. All of these positions are valid. It’s that validity that’s the sad story of Ted Ginn and the Carolina Panthers.

By Tony Dunn aka @Cat_Chronicles
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