4 Panthers players who shouldn’t play a snap vs. Saints
By Dean Jones
Chris Manhertz – Carolina Panthers TE
Chris Manhertz is another whose time with the Carolina Panthers is coming to an end. The tight end has obvious limitations that the new coaching staff is now fully aware of and it would be a huge surprise if he was kept around beyond this season.
Manhertz is a primarily blocking tight end when the current trend across the league demands much more from players at the position. This has left the former Canisius standout on the outside looking in throughout the season, with offensive coordinator Joe Brady opting to distribute targets to the talented wide receivers in Carolina.
This is somewhat surprising considering that the Panthers have been without Christian McCaffrey for all but three games. But the time to see what Colin Thompson can do with more reps is officially upon us.
He is still very much an unknown quantity, although he does have a touchdown to his name this season. Giving Thompson more time on the field at the expense of Manhertz might be more beneficial at this juncture and it wouldn’t be a great shock if Matt Rhule opted to go in this particular direction.
Ian Thomas has become more involved of late. But whether he’s done enough to convince the coaching staff he is a viable No. 1 option is highly debatable.