4 Carolina Panthers players who cannot afford to regress at 2024 camp
We're almost at that time again. Football season is just around the corner and the Carolina Panthers are in the final stages of planning ahead of their annual training camp, which will be held in Charlotte for the first time.
Camp is our chance to get a glimpse at how the Panthers will look during the upcoming season, including how rookies fit within the offense and defense as well as potential standouts. Unfortunately, that means we also get to see players who may even take a step back despite the newfound optimism under new head coach Dave Canales.
Let's take a look at a few Panthers players who cannot afford to regress over camp. Otherwise, they may find themselves elsewhere.
Ian Thomas - Carolina Panthers TE
Securing 116 receptions, 1,055 receiving yards, and four touchdowns sounds like a tremendous season for an NFL tight end, right? What if I said those were the career numbers of a player with six seasons under his belt?
Not so good.
Fans are still waiting for Ian Thomas to have his breakout moment. Heading into his seventh season, the former Indiana Hoosier product has failed to fill in the gap left by the departure of franchise great Greg Olsen.
Thomas is a peculiar player. He has found himself on the roster year after year and even landed himself a solid second contract with the Panthers. The talent at one point was poised to become a capable contributor to the future of the franchise at the very least. So that begs the question, why hasn't the 6-foot-4, 260-pound athlete put it all together yet?
The nonsense and turmoil of team owner David Tepper's previous regimes may have played a part. But if a player hasn't shown what he is capable of through six seasons with one team, there isn't much to get excited about.
With the drafting of Texas product Ja'Tavion Sanders and the flashes shown by Tommy Tremble, Thomas is in desperate need of an outstanding camp. This hasn't gone unnoticed by the former fourth-round pick, who looked like a player reborn over early offseason workouts. However, what comes next is more important.