4 Panthers players who could be traded before the 2021 deadline
By Dean Jones
Ian Thomas – Carolina Panthers TE
Perhaps the Carolina Panthers had a method to their madness when keeping so many tight ends on its roster heading into the 2021 season.
Trade capital.
Dan Arnold’s time with the organization was brief. It was obviously a difficult decision to let the talented pass-catcher leave, but acquiring a top-10 cornerback in C.J. Henderson was obviously something they wanted and especially after Jaycee Horn went down with a broken foot.
Whether they’d want to shop someone like Ian Thomas is another matter. The former fourth-round pick is in the final year of his deal and hasn’t been involved in the passing game all that much once again, although his blocking work has come on leaps and bounds.
This move comes down to two things.
There needs to be interest from a team looking for additional help at the tight-end position.
It also depends on just how ready Tommy Tremble is regarding the TE1 spot.
Carolina clearly has big plans for the Notre Dame product. But taking the security blanket of Thomas away is a big risk with only Colin Thompson and tight-end turned fullback Giovanni Ricci on the roster.