After a promising 2022 season, Panthers wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. rented space one afternoon in a Dallas recording studio, something he’s done since his sophomore year at LSU to relax and clear his mind.
Marshall spent about two hours freestyling a track he calls “Moving On,” in which — with the help of an Autotuner — the 22-year-old sings of persevering through challenging times when “we were barely surviving.”
Anzeige
“It just means moving on to better things,” Marshall said during an interview this week. “I’m just telling you things that I’ve been through without telling you (the specifics of) what I’ve been through.”
Marshall posted part of the track on Instagram on May 5, along with video clips of Marshall catching passes during a practice, presumably during their just completed, voluntary minicamp.
View this post on Instagram
Marshall took a step forward last year, when he averaged 17.5 yards a catch and produced first downs on an eye-popping 24 of his 28 receptions. Still, Marshall has yet to make the impact the Panthers envisioned when they drafted him in the second round in 2021.
But he’s moving on to his third season — with a new coaching staff, a new quarterback in Bryce Young and a mostly new group of receivers around him.
“(In the) NFL, you’ve gotta come in here every day with it on your mind to grind no matter who’s in the front office, no matter who’s your coach. No matter what, you’ve gotta have the same approach,” Marshall said. “It’s what I believe in. I’ve been doing what I do to look the part and I’m gonna continue to keep grinding toward that.”
Marshall is a key piece in a wideout group that remains a work in progress following the March 10 trade of No. 1 receiver DJ Moore to Chicago as part of the blockbuster deal that brought the Panthers the No. 1 pick and put them in position to draft Young.
After sending Moore to the Bears, the Panthers signed three receivers in free agency — Adam Thielen, DJ Chark and Damiere Byrd — then took Ole Miss wideout Jonathan Mingo in the second round. Marshall might seem like the forgotten man, but the Panthers’ coaches are well aware of Marshall and his untapped potential.
GO DEEPER
Panthers WR Adam Thielen adjusts to new city, discusses his age and rookie Bryce Young
“We are a group that’s under construction right now. That means everybody. We’re trying to get the offense implemented. We’re in the building process,” receivers coach Shawn Jefferson said. “We’re through clearing the land. Right now we’re trying to plant the seeds of the offense and trying to get this thing up to snuff. …
“But I can tell you this, he’s a skilled receiver and I’m happy to be coaching him. I’m looking forward to his future going forward.”
Anzeige
Marshall’s future has always looked bright. As a high school star outside of Shreveport, Marshall was the unanimous No. 1 prospect in Louisiana and was the country’s second-ranked receiver by Scout. Marshall won a national championship at LSU but was largely overshadowed by Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson, two of the most prolific wideouts in the NFL.
Marshall missed three games due to injuries during a rookie season in which he was targeted only 30 times. His second season started ominously when he didn’t play in the opener against Cleveland, then was inactive for consecutive games against the Saints and Cardinals.
Marshall might have stayed buried on the depth chart had Matt Rhule remained the Panthers’ coach. But Marshall’s role increased following Rhule’s firing and the subsequent trade of disgruntled wideout Robbie Anderson to Arizona.
GO DEEPER
Panthers depth chart post-draft: Bryce Young will start, but will be eased into role
Two weeks after interim coach Steve Wilks had Anderson jettisoned, Marshall was targeted nine times in a 37-34 loss at Atlanta, finishing with four catches and a career-high 87 yards. Over the last 12 weeks of the season, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Marshall led the NFL with a 19.2 yards-per-catch average. Marshall was second in the league in first down rate, with 85.7 percent of his catches resulting in first downs.
Panthers coach Frank Reich said Marshall’s development will come down to getting on the field more and playing consistently.
“We saw that last year with the reps that he got, the catches that he had, the big plays that he had. He shows that capacity to be a big-play guy,” he said. “The next step with every player is just more reps, more plays, more confidence where it’s like, ‘Hey, give me the ball.'”
Marshall made a pair of highlight-reel catches on Sam Darnold passes late in the season, including a deep ball that he grabbed just over the head of Lions cornerback Jerry Jacobs. But Marshall said his most memorable play came two weeks earlier in Seattle, when he completed the catch on a crosser by pinning the ball between his legs.
“I was just running a crossing route. (Darnold) threw it in a tight window,” Marshall said. “I saw the ball. It skipped my hands. I just felt it in my legs and started squeezing.”
Besides his recording session, Marshall also spent part of the offseason in Austin, Texas, working out with Mo Wells, a former LSU sprinter who also trains Bengals receivers Chase and Tee Higgins. Marshall said he focused on strengthening his “small muscles” in the hopes of staying healthy over a 17-game season — or longer.
Anzeige
“I don’t really throw numbers out there. But inside of my head I know what I’m capable of,” Marshall said when asked about his expectations for his third season. “I don’t want to fall short of (goals) I give you because I’m not perfect. I’ll just say I want to take advantage of my opportunities and help this team get a Super Bowl.”
The first order of business will be locking down a spot in a receiving rotation. Though the Panthers might not have one wideout on Moore’s level, the group looks to be deeper and more talented collectively.
Given all the Panthers’ offseason moves at the position, it was mentioned to Marshall that people seem to be sleeping on him. Without missing a beat, Marshall quickly offered a response.
“Let ’em sleep,” he said.
(Top photo: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
