Panthers depth chart focus: Can tight ends thrive under Ben McAdoo?

Could the arrival of Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo help the team’s tight end options thrive during the 2022 season? 

The days of Greg Olsen tearing up the league are long gone and the Carolina Panthers have had a hard job replicating his production. Something that needs to change quickly considering how important productive pass-catching tight ends are to any team’s success across the NFL.

There seemed like a real reluctance from previous offensive coordinator Joe Brady to utilize tight ends within his scheme. Those tasked with filling Olsen’s void were almost non-existent even with other skill positions struggling and Christian McCaffrey spending a considerable period on the sidelines through injury, which was bizarre considering how much the play-caller used the position throughout LSU’s national-championship winning campaign in 2019.

Brady is no longer part of the equation after he was fired midway through the 2021 bye week. The Panthers appointed Ben McAdoo as his replacement – an experienced figure who is renowned for getting the most out of the tight ends at his disposal.

This comes with positive thoughts surrounding improvements from this positional group. Carolina did not bring in any reinforcements of note during the offseason to date, but that might change if McAdoo and other coaches don’t like what they see in training camp or over the first few games of the season.

Fans should look at this scenario with a sense of cautious optimism. And with that being said, we took a closer look at what to expect from Carolina’s tight ends in our latest depth chart focus.