Panthers: Tight end Chris Manhertz in line for productive season

The Carolina Panthers will look to their backup tight end for more production in 2018.

Chris Manhertz. Some Carolina Panther fans may recognize that name. Others may have no clue who he is. For the latter group, I suggest you begin to learn it. Panthers head coach Ron Rivera said Tuesday that Manhertz has been with Greg Olsen more and the consensus is that he is primed to take over the backup tight end spot.

“Chris Manhertz has been hanging out with Greg Olsen a lot,” Rivera told the Charlotte Observer. “And that can only be a good thing for us.”

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Manhertz has bounced around from team to team throughout the course of his career. Playing for the Buffalo Bills and New Orleans Saints before his time with the Panthers, the Canisius product has not seen the field much. In two years with the Panthers, he has played in 20 games, starting four of them. Three catches for 27 yards is all he has to show for his time with the team to this point.

Measuring in at 6-foot-6, 255 pounds Manhertz has the same type of build Ed Dickson does. He can be a red-zone threat if given the opportunity.

The fact that the Panthers want to incorporate Manhertz more in the offense means a couple of things. For starters, he is not going to light the world on fire right away. Due to the fact that he has received limited snaps to this point, there may be some growing pains the first few times he steps on the field. With that in mind, the fact that he has been working with Olsen should help minimize errors.

Manhertz probably will not put up major numbers, but I think he will have a productive season. Once he gets into the flow of the offense, he should be able to make solid contributions. It is well-known that Cam Newton loves to throw to his tight ends. For that reason, Manhertz should see many passes thrown his way.

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At the start of the offseason, there was this line of thinking that the Carolina Panthers would look towards free agency to fill the need of backup tight end. Now, it appears as though the team will fill the position in-house.