Ian Thomas and Alex Armah will have pivotal roles Sunday
The two may end up being the most crucial players for the Carolina Panthers on Sunday….
This week could prove to be very crucial for both tight end Ian Thomas and fullback Alex Armah. With the Carolina Panthers offensive line still searching for the right combinations, the blocking may not go smoothly right away. That is where Thomas and Armah come in.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, head coach Ron Rivera said that the two may be relied on heavily to give protection to the offense.
"“That’s exactly what you need,” said Rivera. “You need guys that have that kind of ability. And throw Chris Manhertz into that mix, too. … Guys like Alex and Ian and Chris, they’re playing both sides and they’re going up against the Mario (Addisons) as well. I think that’s been really good for us as far as being able to gauge where we are and whether or not these guys (Daryl Williams and Amini Silatolu) are gonna be there for us on Sunday.”"
Although I had the sense that in particular, Armah and Thomas would be used in the passing game, the fact that they are going to be used for blocking as well is interesting. If anything, it is a positive that the Carolina Panthers are working on ways to protect Cam Newton rather than just feeding him to the wolves. This a role that I could see both of them continuing over the course of the season. With Williams back in the fold and Moton continuing to play well, the offensive line situation is not as dire as it once was.
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We saw Armah take some reps at tight end over the course of training camp and in particular, his blocking was something that was praised. Although he enters the 2018 season as a running back, it will be interesting to see if all the practice drills have paid off.
This is a very smart move on the part of the Carolina Panthers to include these two in the team’s blocking schemes. You do not want Cam Newton running for his life. The last thing you want is your starter hurt in the opener. Especially with a season full of so much promise, that would be truly heartbreaking to see an injury to Newton.
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This is the right move by Ron Rivera and his staff. Both Thomas and Armah have proven to be strong, sturdy players. If they can block consistently as well as contributing to the offense, they will be tremendous assets to the team.