5 Panthers players who could be cut during 2021 training camp
By Dean Jones
Colin Thompson – Carolina Panthers TE
The tight end room is now pretty crowded where the Carolina Panthers are concerned heading into training camp. Dan Arnold arrived in free agency from the Arizona Cardinals, Tommy Tremble was drafted in the third round out of Notre Dame, and Stephen Sullivan was scooped up after working well with offensive coordinator Joe Brady from their time together at LSU.
Couple this with Carolina’s decision to keep around Ian Thomas despite his struggles in 2020 and things look bleak for Colin Thompson. The player did start four games for the Panthers last season and even scored a touchdown, but it’s hard to look at his chances moving forward with any sort of confidence.
Thompson is familiar with the system and has some momentum heading into camp. However, if the Panthers were confident in his chances of progressing into a productive starting option, they wouldn’t have brought in such strong reinforcements this offseason.
If Thompson doesn’t make it onto the active roster, then a place on the practice squad isn’t entirely out of the question. Sullivan is another strong candidate for this and his previous relationship with Brady might tip the scales in his favor.
It would be a surprise to see Carolina go down this route if they needed extra help elsewhere. But it cannot be ruled out entirely.