Ian Thomas - Carolina Panthers TE
The Carolina Panthers gave Ian Thomas a new deal when his rookie contract expired. That's unlikely to be the case this time around.
Thomas had a huge opportunity handed to him in 2020. Matt Rhule's regime opted to let Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen walk in free agency. The former fourth-round pick got elevated to the No. 1 role despite regressing after a promising rookie campaign.
This gamble didn't pay off. Thomas couldn't get close to Olsen's contribution in the passing game. He showed promise as a blocker, but the Indiana product failed to meet raised expectations.
The Panthers didn't see Thomas as a lost cause, extending him when some fans were calling for a shift in approach. He became a blocking specialist rarely given targets. There were also injury problems that prevented him from making a difference when momentum was starting to build last summer under new head coach Dave Canales.
Thomas is a free agent this spring. After taking pay cuts to stick around over the last two years, it would be a bombshell of epic proportions if the Panthers gave him yet another reprieve. The chances of this go from extremely slim to impossible if Tommy Tremble gets another deal.
Shy Tuttle - Carolina Panthers DT
Big changes are coming to the Panthers' defense this offseason. That's an absolute necessity after Dan Morgan didn't do enough to provide defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero with the quality needed en route to a historically bad campaign.
Watching the Panthers give up the most single-season points in NFL history was embarrassing. Their run defense was disgraceful, conceding a whopping 179.8 rushing yards per game. This cannot continue if Carolina wants to enter the NFC South championship picture next time around.
This all starts in the trenches. Getting Derrick Brown back from injury will help enormously. A'Shawn Robinson should also have a role to play, but the Panthers must find a legitimate nose tackle to anchor Evero's 3-4 defensive front.
Shy Tuttle has been managing the position for the last two years. He's never looked comfortable, failing to provide the space-clogging prowess needed for others to do damage. He gets pushed around against the run and cannot generate pressure effectively enough. That's a bad combination.
It would be surprising if Tuttle was still on the roster by Week 1, or even before free agency. This is a deep draft class for defensive linemen, so the Panthers can double-dip to find a blue-chip starter and another piece to fortify their depth.