3 reasons trading for David Njoku makes more sense than ever
By Dean Jones
The Carolina Panthers have gotten nothing from their current options
Giving Ian Thomas a fair crack of the whip after veteran Greg Olsen departed in free agency for the Seattle Seahawks was the right call. The former Indiana standout waited patiently for an opportunity to become the team’s No. 1 option and did perform well from a starting role as a rookie when the Pro Bowler was forced to miss some time through injury.
Sadly for the player and the Carolina Panthers, the experiment has not paid off.
Thomas has been a relative afterthought in Joe Brady’s offense and hasn’t done himself any favors when his name was called. He has just six receptions for 39 receiving yards and one touchdown through six weeks, which is simply isn’t good enough in relation to what was expected from the player before competitive action began.
This will almost certainly force the Panthers to go in a different direction at some point. They might just decide to strike while the iron is hot and make a call regarding the availability of David Njoku, who is an athletic tight end that represents a matchup nightmare when firing on all cylinders.
The same cannot be said for Thomas, who has yet to figure out how best to use his impressive physical attributes. The NFL has no time for players who struggle to meet expectations and the 2018 fourth-round pick will not be exempt from this of the right player becomes available.