Greg Olsen’s endorsement of Ian Thomas a great sign
The Carolina Panthers star had nothing but nice things to say about the rookie…
The night was alive at the Carolina Panthers’ Fan Fest held at Bank of America Stadium on Friday. Fans got the chance to see their beloved Carolina Panthers in action and the night belonged to the rookies as much as it did the veterans.
Greg Olsen looked sharp at Fan Fest, and it was impressive to see the veteran getting after it. In the meantime, he had nothing but rave reviews about rookie tight end Ian Thomas when speaking to the media.
"“He’s everything you want a rookie to be as far as his work ethic, his demeanor, his attitude,” Olsen said. “He absorbs everything.”"
While some may look at Thomas as the heir to Olsen, for now I see them as a dynamic duo of sorts. At 6-foot-5, 248 pounds, Thomas has all the makings of being a threat in the red zone. Combine that with Olsen’s ability to excel in the vertical game and make plays in the open field and you have a combination that covers everything you need out of the position.
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Thomas himself also looked sharp at Fan Fest per Max Henson. He made several catches, and showed the fans he is worthy of all the hype he has been getting during training camp.
If nothing else, the kind words from Olsen serve as an endorsement of sorts that the Carolina Panthers drafted the right guy. Looking back on it now, it was a smart pick on the part of Marty Hurney due to the fact that the team was not sure what was going to happen with Olsen at the time. His career looked like it was at a crossroads back in April.
In June however, we were able to get a better sense of where Olsen’s head was at as he looked ready to go during the team’s minicamp practices in June. Hopefully, a rejuvenated Olsen can translate onto the field in the fall for the Carolina Panthers.
Even still, the fact that Thomas has been endorsed by the best tight end in team history has to count for something. It will be interesting to see how this dynamic will play out in the preseason in terms of how it will look on offense strategically. I don’t think there will be any sort of rivalry between the two. The roles are still clearly defined as to who the starter is and who has to work their way up the ranks.
Next. Turner to call offense from press box. dark
Between Olsen and Thomas, the Carolina Panthers should be set at the tight end position for years to come. That is something fans should take comfort in.