JimmyHorn Jr.

Sep 28

In the first half, Brycen Tremayne took over as the third receiver, with John Metchie III also mixing in.

Metchie recently took over for Jimmy Horn Jr. as the Panthers' backup slot option. Once Coker left with an injury, Tremayne became the second receiver in 12 personnel, while he and Metchie were more consistently on the field in 11 personnel. David Moore was a practice squad call-up for this game, and he became the fourth receiver.

Aug 28

Horn Jr. is the smallest wide receiver on the roster, but he's coming up big when it matters most. The second-year wideout had several impressive grabs in Wednesday's joint practice with the Texans, but the final play of the day — and the final one of training camp — showed a ton of toughness from Horn. As he went down the middle of the end zone to haul in a Kenny Pickett pass — a vulnerable place for anyone, especially a 5-foot-8, 174-pounder — Horn took a hard shot from Texans safety George Odum. Not only did he not lose control of the ball, but he also kept it as Odum stayed on top of him through the ground, giving him the business and trying to strip it away. Panthers head coach Dave Canales beamed when asked about Horn, who is fighting for a roster spot in a deep receiver room. "His growth," Canales replied when asked what has impressed him about Horn's camp. "The natural progression of just the time on task, spending time with Rob (Moore, the veteran receivers coach), spending time with (assistant) Keyshawn Colman in the wide receiver room, picking up the little nuances of the concepts. "And throughout that whole entire process, he's still fast, and he's still making plays for us, whether it's in our joints, our regular practice, or in preseason games. Jimmy has done such a great job." Canales has said many times that special teams roles will be necessary for the non-starting receiver, and Horn showing he can do that will help him as they sift through the group this weekend, as they cut the roster to 53. After Wednesday's showing, Reed and Horn look like they've locked down the final two spots in the wide receiver room.