What do the Carolina Panthers have at tight end in 2021?
By Dean Jones
Dan Arnold – Carolina Panthers TE
It didn’t take a genius to figure out that the Carolina Panthers were going to bring in some additional options to perhaps fill the void left by Greg Olsen in free agency. Having a stable pass-catching tight end is the cornerstone of every successful organization in today’s NFL and it’s something that was prevalent with great success under Ron Rivera.
Perhaps the most notable arrival in this area of the field was Dan Arnold. The player signed a two-year, $6 million deal that included a $2.54 million signing bonus and $4.5 million guaranteed following an eye-catching spell with the Arizona Cardinals that leaves plenty of reasons to be encouraged.
Although Arnold is classed as a tight end, he has a lot of traits that are normally associated with successful wide receivers. He is a polished route-runner, has assured hands, and is a supreme threat in the red zone, something that is sure to benefit the Panthers greatly if he makes a smooth transition to a different environment.
This is well within Arnold’s reach.
The former Wisconsin-Platteville star worked with Carolina’s offensive coordinator Joe Brady during their time together on the New Orleans Saints, so he’ll know full well what to expect from the scheme already.
Arnold might be the sort of player who gets even better with more responsibility on his shoulders. There are plenty of mouths to feed in Carolina’s dynamic passing attack, but the new arrival should generate his fair share.