4 Panthers next on the chopping block after Christian McCaffrey trade

Ian Thomas – Carolina Panthers TE

Ben McAdoo recently claimed that Ian Thomas was one of the best football players he’d ever been around. The tight end is a good blocker and a decent guy despite his offseason arrest, but for the offensive coordinator to come to this conclusion after how he’s performed since replacing Greg Olsen as the team’s starter is asinine.

Thomas flashed earlier in the campaign after getting a surprising extension before free agency began. However, there is enough evidence to suggest that the Carolina Panthers cannot rely on the former fourth-round pick to produce the goods consistently.

Multiple reports suggested that interest would have been high in Thomas had he hit the market. If potential teams targeting the Indiana product still feel the same, the Panthers should seriously consider cutting their losses in readiness for a complete culture shift next year.

This would allow front office personnel to get a prolonged look at Tommy Tremble in a starting role. The 2021 third-round pick is athletic and aggressive, but until he gets an extended run and his fair share of targets, he’ll remain an unknown quantity of sorts.

Christian McCaffrey was the beating heart of Carolina’s offense and it’s hard to gauge just how bad things will be without the league’s best dual-threat running back. More pain is on the horizon for fans, but the foundations for future success are potentially being laid.