With the team sputtering and Marquess Wilson on the cusp of returning , the Chicago Bears waived wide receiver Santonio Holmes on Tuesday. Holmes was largely unnoticeable in Chicago and has caught only one pass since Week 6, but this is attributably chiefly to lack of use; he was only targeted 14 times while a member of the Bears and never seemed in tune with Jay Cutler (not unlike just about every pass catcher on Chicago’s roster this season). Holmes could be a useful addition for a receiving corps in need of some offensive punch, and no team comes to mind faster than the Carolina Panthers.
The Panthers’ running game is flat-out dismal, averaging a paltry 3.6 yards per carry in 2014. With a defense nowhere near as strong as last year’s dominant unit, Carolina has had to rely on the passing game fairly heavily. Greg Olsen is the only reliable receiving target on the roster. Kelvin Benjamin, while supremely talented, is prone to drops and rookie mistakes. Supplementing Olsen and Benjamin with a veteran like Holmes would go a long way towards bettering a Panthers air attack that presently ranks a disappointing 25th in DVOA.
Holmes isn’t the same player that won a Super Bowl in 2009, but he’s still a smart, savvy wideout capable of making some plays if given the opportunity. He showed some flashes of promise in limited action for the disastrously dysfunctional Bears. While Carolina isn’t in such a great situation itself, it is certainly no Chicago (Rochester Jeffersons, anyone?). A change of scenery could do wonders for Holmes, and the Panthers would stand to benefit from it.
Sean Sarcu is a Chicago Blackhawks writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter or add him to your network on Google.