Panthers: Chris Manhertz injury leaves room for opportunity
The Carolina Panthers need one of their rookies to step up…
The tight end position for the Carollina Panthers will be missing a key member come the start of training camp. Chris Manhertz will miss the beginning of camp per Bill Voth of Panthers.com.
As Stephen Igoe of 247Sports notes, Manhertz had to be carted off the field during minicamp practice when he suffered a left foot injury .
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This is where things get interesting for the team at the tight end position. With the Carolina Panthers counting on veteran experience at the position, they better hope Greg Olsen does not go down for some unforeseen reason. There are options at the position, but with those options comes a lack of experience.
Per the most recent depth chart from OurLads.com, Manhertz has now dropped to the third spot on the depth chart behind rookie Ian Thomas. This could be a reason to watch for Thomas, although I had no way of knowing that last Friday.
Manhertz appeared in all 16 games last year, starting in four of them. He caught two passes for 17 yards. Those numbers will not “wow” you, but with the departure of Ed Dickson to the Seattle Seahawks, one has to figure Manhertz will be a greater part of the equation in the 2018 campaign. Although this is obviously not a season-ending injury, Manhertz probably wanted to start off training camp strong.
This is huge news for Thomas too. The coaching staff was already excited about his potential, and now he will have an opportunity to show what he is made of. Especially as a rookie, this is where Thomas needs to show the coaching staff he is more than just “the new guy.”
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This is terrible news for Manhertz, and I hope he can still participate in training camp at a high level. If there is any consolation to this, it is the fact that injuries in training camp are easier to swallow than injuries in the regular season.