6 team legends who could help the current Panthers most in 2021

Greg Olsen – Former Carolina Panthers TE

There are some big expectations surrounding improved production from the tight end position next season following the arrivals of Dan Arnold and Tommy Tremble. The bar isn’t exactly high after Ian Thomas failed to make the No. 1 position his own in 2020, but it’s still a precarious situation for the Carolina Panthers to be in if it all goes wrong.

Not having a security blanket across the middle or in the red zone really hurt the Panthers and Teddy Bridgewater last season. However, it came as no surprise that Greg Olsen was sorely missed after Carolina let him walk in free agency for a move to the Seattle Seahawks.

Olsen is now retired and heading into the FOX studio in 2021. But when one explores team legends who would help this current Panthers squad, he would be high on the shortlist.

The Pro Bowler quickly became Cam Newton’s favorite target across the middle and hugely dependable. Olsen notched 524 receptions for 6,463 receiving yards and 39 touchdowns over 126 games for the Panthers, which also came with a yards-per-catch average of 12.3 and a catch success rate of 62.5 percent.

Had it not been for injuries, Olsen might have been able to see out his career in Carolina. And who knows, that might have been enough to see Bridgewater thrive rather than get traded to the Denver Broncos after just one year and with a dead-cap figure of more than $17 million.

Putting Olsen on this passing attack would be incredible. Even though it arrived just a couple of years too late in reality.