Panthers offense: 4 players under pressure to perform in 2020
By Dean Jones
Ian Thomas – TE
The Carolina Panthers have placed a lot of faith in their tight end Ian Thomas this offseason. The organization did not bring in a replacement for Greg Olsen despite having opportunities to do so in free agency and the NFL Draft.
This has propelled Thomas into the No. 1 tight end option, a role he showed glimpses of promise in whenever Olsen was forced into a spell on the sidelines. The former fourth-round pick out of Indiana was targeted just 27 times last season on his way to 16 receptions, and a touchdown.
While that took some of the gloss off what was a tremendous 2018 campaign. It does leave some hope that Thomas is now ready to fill the void left by Olsen, who signed a free-agent deal with the Seattle Seahawks.
The Panthers offense will be counting on Thomas heavily to prove a security blanket for Teddy Bridgewater across the middle. This is especially important as the quarterback himself is adjusting to new surroundings and might not have much time to gel with his teammates due to social distancing measures surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.
Thomas has tremendous hands and good speed for a man his size. While his blocking does need some work, being a consistent starter will be a massive confidence boost and something that can result in a huge surge in production from the player.