Panthers No. 80: 3 things Ian Thomas must do better in 2020
By Dean Jones
Three things that Carolina Panthers tight end Ian Thomas must do better if he is going to fill the void left by Greg Olsen.
We now find ourselves just 80 days away from the Carolina Panthers making a return to the field. It promises to be a wild ride for the team’s fanbase after so much change this offseason. So just strap yourselves in and try to enjoy the ride.
One of the key departures for the Carolina Panthers during free agency was prolific tight end Greg Olsen. The veteran opted to take his chances elsewhere and signed a one-year, $7 million deal with the Seattle Seahawks that included a $3.75 million signing bonus and $5.5 million guaranteed.
Few would deny that Olsen has earned the right to end his career with a shot at winning the Super Bowl. And this is something that was not going to happen with the Panthers next season.
This has left the organization all-in on Ian Thomas stepping in and filling the void left by Olsen. The player has shown glimpses of his potential during his time in Carolina. And this was especially evident in 2018 when their No. 1 option was forced to miss time through injury.
There doesn’t seem to be much in the way of real depth behind Thomas on the depth chart. This can give him great confidence knowing that the coaching staff has so much faith in him delivering the goods. But it also represents a potential problem for the Panthers if he does not reach expectations.
We picked out three things that Thomas must do better in order to make the most out of his starting chance in 2020.