Chris Manhertz deal a smart move for Carolina Panthers
Chris Manhertz will be with Carolina for the foreseeable future.
It never hurts to have depth at the tight end position and Tuesday, the Carolina Panthers signed one of their veteran tight ends to a multiple-year deal. Chris Manhertz signed a two-year extension with the team according to multiple media reports.
Manhertz did not really figure into the Panthers offense much last season. We saw the emergence of Ian Thomas at the tight end position and Greg Olsen also played in several games last season prior to his season-ending injury in December. Even still, Manhertz did his part, catching two passes for 52 yards and a touchdown. Catching a season-long 50-yard pass, he did it on Monday Night Football against the New Orleans Saints in what was a tough 9-12 loss. That was by far his best game of the season.
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You have to think that for the moment at least, he will be playing behind Thomas as the second-year player showed a lot of promise last season as a rookie. Just looking at it from an impact perspective, Greg Olsen probably will not be able to do much if he comes back next season. I still think he can play, but it’s more so a matter of proving that he is better than Thomas in 2019. At this stage of his career, I do not think Olsen is. Thomas is the future at the position and he should take over the reins.
That may be good news for Chris Manhertz. He certainly has the potential to gain more playing time next season now that Olsen will probably be limited in terms of production. At the very least, this new two-year deal offers stability and a veteran who has been in the system and knows what it takes to win football games. Those types of players are always important to have on your team. Manhertz certainly fills that role.
As the Carolina Panthers look to retool for next season, it will be interesting to see what other moves they make in order to improve their team. There are certainly a lot of areas that they need to get better in, and I think for that reason, this Chris Manhertz deal was a smart move. They keep a veteran who knows how to play the position and is familiar with Norv Turner’s offense having been in the system for a full season now. He may not always make headlines, but he is still an important part of this team. Especially in the coming years, he may be a valuable piece to the offense.