The Panthers’ season at tight end was like a reverse crap sandwich. The middle of the season was actually pretty good, that being when All Pro Greg Olsen was on the field. The problem is that Olsen was injured early in the season opener and missed the next three games. After he returned he played nine games before re-injuring his foot and missing the rest of the season. But then something surprising happened. Rookie fourth round draft selection Ian Thomas got the start and made good on the opportunity. In six starts and sixteen games total Thomas caught 36 balls for 333 yards and two scores. He gave the Panthers a glimpse of the potential the kid possesses.
Even if you agree Thomas could develop into a quality starter at tight end in the NFL I’m sure we all agree we would prefer to see a healthy Greg Olsen return to the line up next season. Good news! It looks like Olsen feels the same way:
Olsen said he won’t close the door on opportunities outside of football, adding: “Right now, my mindset is on doing everything to have a better season this year, personally and as a team. “I’m in every day doing my foot rehab, trying to get this thing finally back to where I was used to. That’s what I’m preparing for, and that all starts with getting my foot right.”
“If I’m healthy, I still have a lot of confidence in what I can do,” said Olsen, who has two years left on his contract with Carolina. “I know what I can do. I know what I’ve been to this offense and what I still can do. The only thing in 12 years that has stopped that has been a little bone in my foot. “Outside of that, I’ve been as productive, if not more, than anybody in the league [at tight end].”
Curse you little bone! I banish you from Middle Earth!
Getting back to the wonderful imagination that is NFL performance grades, here’s how PFF viewed the tight end position in Carolina in 2018:
Olsen provided a typical Olsen performance, just not enough of it.
Well he has had better seasons on average but I believe him that he really wants to get back to healthy and on the field.
Rookie Ian Thomas was stellar at pass blocking and I liked his soft hands receiving. He has to work on his run blocking of course as a tight end but many parts of his game were well advanced as a rookie. Thomas high point came in Week 14 against the Browns when Thomas hauled in nine catches for 77 yards. The kid was on fire. The only thing missing was a score.
Thomas would log his first touchdown as a professional in the Week 16 loss to the Falcons. He caught four balls for 48 yards in that one. Thomas then closed out the season with a touchdown on five catches for 68 yards in the win over the Saints. He truly gave us a glimpse of what we hope is an upward career arc.
Rounding out the top three is run blocking tight end Chris ‘Puttin On’ Man-hertz. Manhertz is here to block and he was the best of the three at it. Yet Manhertz was not without his offensive moment of the season. Who can forget his 50 yard touchdown on a trick play pass from running back Christian McCaffrey:
QB22 to Chris Manhertz pic.twitter.com/Slb5CTFeAt
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) December 18, 2018
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen any Panthers player more wide open than Manhertz on that play. More amazing is the Panthers didn’t botch it. Never mind the rest of that wretched game. That play will give our opposing defensive coordinators something more to worry about.