Welcome to our offseason series detailing the Panthers offseason needs and how they might address them. Be it through the draft, free agency, or the answer being “on the roster”, the Panthers will need to fill holes all across their roster to field a full 53 heading into 2018. No matter how set the Panthers may seem at a position, there is no reason why the Panthers can’t constantly get better; that will start with an open and honest evaluation of who is on the roster currently, how they performed in 2017 and whether those players will be returning.
Previously, on “Evaluating The Cupboard”:
- Quarterbacks: Will Derek Anderson be back? Is Garrett Gilbert the future backup?
- Wide Receivers: Is a trio of Devin Funchess, Curtis Samuel and Damiere Byrd enough? Or is it just a good start?
- Running Backs: Will Jonathan Stewart become a cap casualty? Is Cameron Artis-Payne due for a bigger role?
- Cornerbacks: Should the Panthers be content with their young core? Was their talent hurt by Steve Wilks’ blitz-heavy scheme?
The Panthers have been spoiled at tight end the past few seasons, with Greg Olsen racking up 1,000 yard seasons with apparent ease. 2017 was something of a crash back to earth, with Olsen’s injury forcing Ed Dickson, Chris Manhertz and rookie Alex Armah into more significant action. With that in mind, where do the Panthers’ tight ends stand entering the offseason?
Old Reliable
Greg Olsen’s foot injury not only deprived the Panthers of their most historically consistent pass catcher for half the season, it also mitigated his impact on his return; despite a big game against Green Bay and the Saints in the playoffs, Olsen wasn’t his usual self. A broken foot is not an easy injury to come back from on a short timescale; Olsen’s unspectacular season may well be more of an anomaly than a downward spiral, especially given his 2016 season. What is certainly true is that as the only returning tight end on the roster to have caught a pass this season, Olsen looks to feature significantly in the Panthers’ 2018 offense.
The Panthers could save $6.75 million by releasing Olsen, but should he return to anything like his recent best then it is hard to imagine Olsen not being worth that and much more. If his injury looks to linger, that might not be as definite, but assuming the Panthers’ doctors believe Olsen is healthy, he will be back; what this season has made clear is that Olsen is hugely important to the Panthers offensive scheme. While Olsen will be back next season, he will be a 34 year-old free agent after next season and the Panthers would be foolish not to be thinking about future replacements.
Alex Armah
The rookie might have just missed making the initial roster, but while Olsen missed time, Armah was called upon to contribute, as a run blocker in particular. While he only saw action in nine games, Armah showed himself to be a good blocker at fullback, a valuable special teams player and, if the preseason is anything to go by, a potential pass-catching option. Norv Turner has shown the ability to effectively work a fullback into an offense in the past with Mike Tolbert, and Armah has shown enough promise to be considered as a potential piece going forward. At under $600,000 for next year, it would be shocking if Armah wasn’t on the roster come training camp.
Everybody Else
Everybody else on the Panthers’ roster is a pending free agent; while Ed Dickson had a career day in Detroit and Chris Manhertz has raw talent, neither of them have done enough to merit a significant contract somewhere else. What is also true is that none of them have shown anywhere near enough to be considered a potential replacement for Greg Olsen; at the right price, Dickson, Manhertz or even Scott Simonson could all be back on the training camp roster, but given the cap situation, it would be surprising to see the Panthers cough up significant cap space to keep them around. Manhertz in particular is an exclusive rights free agent, so he should come at a very small cap figure.
Outlook
Greg Olsen will likely remain the man for a little while longer and Alex Armah could be a more substantial piece next season; beyond that, everything is very much uncertain. The Panthers will almost certainly have at least five tight ends on the roster come training camp, and if the team can bring in cheap competition for Dickson and Manhertz in free agency, they will likely do so. What is also almost certainly true is that in order to find their replacement for Greg Olsen they will have to turn to the draft, and likely in the earlier rounds. 2019 sees many of the Panthers’ veteran stars hitting either free agency or retirement, Olsen being only one of them. Finding replacements for them could well be the major storyline of the Panthers’ 2018 draft.
