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Stephen Hill / wr ( remember him ? ? ) could be ready to shine for Panthers in 2015 ~ ~ ~

kelly

By kelly
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kelly

kelly

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Stephen Hill could be ready to shine for Panthers in 2015

 

What kept wide receiver Stephen Hill on the Carolina Panthers' practice squad for the entire 2014 season wasn’t simply his ability to contribute.

 

Quarterback Joe Webb was a factor.In Webb, the Panthers had somebody who could play quarterback, wide receiver and special teams. To make room for Hill on the 53-man roster a player would have to be cut, and Webb was considered too valuable.The Panthers made that clear during the offseason by re-signing Webb to another one-year deal.But Hill’s time on the practice squad wasn’t wasted. He improved to the point that coach Ron Rivera believes the New York Jets’ 2012 second-round pick is ready to be a factor in 2015.

 

[rge
AP Photo/Chris SzagolaThe Jets cut wide receiver Stephen Hill, a second-round pick in 2012, after two seasons and 45 catches.

“Very much so," Rivera said Wednesday during the NFL owners meeting in Phoenix. “He’s a guy we feel has an opportunity. We’re very excited about [seeing] Stephen during OTAs and minicamp.

“With his size (6-4, 215) and speed and his ability to get vertical, if he can assimilate to what we do -- and I think he will; he seems to be a very smart man – he might be a guy that has an opportunity to contribute for us."

Hill is so close that Rivera doesn’t feel the sense of urgency to draft a speed receiver. That doesn’t mean the Panthers won’t take one in the first couple of rounds if a receiver is the best player available.

But, as Rivera said, the presence of Hill lessens that sense of urgency.

“It takes pressure off us, most certainly," Rivera said. “The big thing, we have a guy that potentially can contribute, and in a big way. And at the end of the day, you can sit back and say he was a second-round pick."

The Jets had high expectations for Hill. But between his lack of production and a history of drops he never fulfilled those. He was cut at the end of training camp last season, and the Panthers were quick to stash him on their practice squad.

“I thought it was a good opportunity to take a step back and take a break," Rivera said. “The thing I liked about Stephen was how he contributed to our football team’s success. He came in. He had been a second-round pick. He had no assumptions, no entitlement.

“He ran all the scout teams for us. He ran them hard. Gave us great looks, which is what makes us excited 'cause you watch a guy perform who could very easily dog it, and he didn’t. And you saw him grow. You saw him make catches. You saw him get comfortable in his own skin again."

The Panthers signed free agent Ted Ginn Jr. to fill the need of a speed receiver to play opposite 2014 first-round pick Kelvin Benjamin. Ginn also was brought in to fill a big need as a kick returner.

Carolina also has a speed receiver in Philly Brown, an undrafted player out of Ohio State who played well at times last season.

Athletically, Hill has the tools to be better than both.

“We saw him begin to get comfortable," Rivera said. “There was no pressure on him for a season, so he relaxed and [was] really showing that he is capable."

Because the roster isn’t set, Hill now has a chance to win a spot on his own merit.

“The hard part about giving other guys opportunities is you’re going to eliminate somebody that you don’t want to," Rivera said. “That was our situation [last year]. We didn’t want to cut a guy to have to activate a guy and potentially lose him."

 

> http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/165334/stephen-hill-could-be-ready-to-shine-for-panthers-in-2015

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#27TheDominator

#27TheDominator

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“He’s a guy we feel has an opportunity. We’re very excited about [seeing] Stephen during OTAs and minicamp."

"– he might be a guy that has an opportunity to contribute for us."

"a guy that potentially can contribute"

 

I stood up for Hill as long as anybody and he still has a shot, but that is some faint praise right there.  Stephen HIll's entire career has been qualified with potential to add it during an off-season fluff piece is a bit harsh.

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southparkcpa

southparkcpa

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I stood up for Hill as long as anybody and he still has a shot, but that is some faint praise right there.  Stephen HIll's entire career has been qualified with potential to add it during an off-season fluff piece is a bit harsh.

Me too..raw talent, great speed, concrete hands.

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JetBlue

JetBlue

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Me too..raw talent, great speed, concrete hands.

Personally I thought it was too soon for him to be cut. It wasn't like we had a bunch of stars ahead of him.  I would have given him one more year, but that just me...  Instead we kept Salas; Yay.

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peekskill68

peekskill68

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Personally I thought it was too soon for him to be cut. It wasn't like we had a bunch of stars ahead of him.  I would have given him one more year, but that just me...  Instead we kept Salas; Yay.

 

 

Salas outplayed him at camp last year.  If you keep Hill and cut Salas what message are you sending to the other players competing to make the team?

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#27TheDominator

#27TheDominator

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Personally I thought it was too soon for him to be cut. It wasn't like we had a bunch of stars ahead of him.  I would have given him one more year, but that just me...  Instead we kept Salas; Yay.

 

Salas had a much better fluff piece.  Around mid-season they were writing up his yards per target or something as being awesome and he was going to see an expanded role.  They expanded his role and came back down to earth.  David Nelson style.

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JetBlue

JetBlue

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Salas had a much better fluff piece.  Around mid-season they were writing up his yards per target or something as being awesome and he was going to see an expanded role.  They expanded his role and came back down to earth.  David Nelson style.

lol exactly and then we had a bunch of folks on this board who fell in love with him in training camp.  Oh well at least this year we will field NLF quality receivers for a change. 

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JetsFanInDenver

JetsFanInDenver

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I was never in favor of releasing him because given the WR's we had on our team from the start of the last season it was clear he should have played out his rookie contract over here before the JETS made a decision on him.

 

This just shows what good coaching staff can do. It should be Sanjay Lal who should be driving s UPS truck. But he ends up getting paid to ruin Sammy Watkin's life.

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Warfish

Warfish

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Wouldn't have cut Hill last year, not for a nobody like Salas tbh.  Would have given his the one more year, and then cut him.

 

Was surely/probably the wrong position on my part, but in fairness, it's not like retaining Salas > Hill made any difference of any kind in 2014.

 

Or that Salas will make any difference, ever, anywhere really.  One JAG as good/bad as another really.

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jetsrebirth

jetsrebirth

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Rex and Sporano were the worst possible situation for Hill. He was a project, with no one to develop him, and they had him starting on day one without a clue of what he was doing. For that matter, not one WR on that 12 team knew what they were doing. It was one of the worst designed offenses in the history of offense. I would not be shocked if Hill develops into a decent player, Rex was an abomination for anything offense related during his tenure.

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Jetmech

Jetmech

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Personally I thought it was too soon for him to be cut. It wasn't like we had a bunch of stars ahead of him. I would have given him one more year, but that just me... Instead we kept Salas; Yay.

He couldn't beat out scrubs..crazy sh*t
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JetBlue

JetBlue

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Salas outplayed him at camp last year.  If you keep Hill and cut Salas what message are you sending to the other players competing to make the team?

Are you serious?  What message did they send by starting Geno over Vick without a fair competition?  Salas was the definition of a JAG and didn't dramatically outplay Hill.  Hill missed parts of his first two years with injuries so he really had yet to play a a full 16 games.  You draft a guy in the second round with his measurables and you give at least a 3rd year to see if he figures it out.  It is not like we were a contending team or anything.  

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JetBlue

JetBlue

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Rex and Sporano were the worst possible situation for Hill. He was a project, with no one to develop him, and they had him starting on day one without a clue of what he was doing. For that matter, not one WR on that 12 team knew what they were doing. It was one of the worst designed offenses in the history of offense. I would not be shocked if Hill develops into a decent player, Rex was an abomination for anything offense related during his tenure.

THIS

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jorge o8

jorge o8

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Personally I thought it was too soon for him to be cut. It wasn't like we had a bunch of stars ahead of him.  I would have given him one more year, but that just me...  Instead we kept Salas; Yay.

im with you I do think we drafted him way to high but I also think we gave up him to fast.
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