5 Panthers players facing a make-or-break offseason in 2021
By Dean Jones
Ian Thomas – Carolina Panthers TE
Ian Thomas is a curious player that has all the physical attributes in the world but hasn’t impressed the new current coaching staff for whatever reason. The Carolina Panthers did allocate him with a shot at taking over from Greg Olsen in 2020 before almost giving up on the former fourth-round pick entirely judging by his distinct lack of involvement in the passing game.
For Thomas to be targeted just 31 times was a damning indication of where he stands with Matt Rhule, Joe Brady, and company. The Indiana product is still on the roster despite speculation he’d be released with one year remaining on his deal, but he needs to have the strongest offseason imaginable to remain part of Carolina’s plans moving forward.
If he was hoping for a larger share of targets next time around, Thomas might be out of luck. The Panthers picked up Dan Arnold in free agency who is familiar with Brady’s offense, with third-round selection Tommy Tremble bringing a significant amount of intrigue and may even be the complete package with refinement catching the football.
Thomas has to take this challenge by the scruff of the neck.
He is fighting for his future with the team and if the player buckles under this sort of pressure, then it wouldn’t be the biggest shock in the world to see the Panthers cut him loose at a cap saving of $2 million.