Panthers depth chart focus: Can tight ends thrive under Ben McAdoo?
By Dean Jones
Tommy Tremble – Carolina Panthers TE
There was an enormous sense of intrigue surrounding Tommy Tremble heading into his rookie campaign. The Carolina Panthers placed a lot of faith in the tight end by selecting him in the third round, but anyone expecting miracles from a pass-catching standpoint right away was left out of luck.
Tremble did flash moments of quality on his way to 191 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns. But there are some route-running issues and the 57.1 percent catch success rate also needs to improve in order to fully maximize his exceptional physical traits.
The Notre Dame product is already an outstanding blocker, which is a solid foundation from which to build. In order for Tremble to take the next step, he needs to become more of a factor in the passing game and emerge as a consistent red-zone threat.
Ben McAdoo’s arrival could be the spark Tremble needs. Although he will need to beat out Ian Thomas for significant reps along the way.
Tremble turned out in 48 percent of the team’s offensive snaps as a rookie. This experience should stand him in good stead and if further progress is made this offseason, there is just no telling how high his ceiling might be.
The potential is exciting where Tremble is concerned. But there is some tough work ahead for the player and the coaches in training camp.