Carolina Panthers: Greg Olsen deserves to push for a new deal
Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen has been a stalwart in the offense, and now he wants to be paid like such.
If the NFL awarded championship belts, there’s a chance that Cam Newton and Greg Olsen would be in the running for tag team champions. Since joining the Carolina Panthers back in 2011, Olsen’s excelled in the tight end position. In fact, the last three seasons he’s put together the best numbers of his career. It’s that productivity that has Olsen looking for a new contract and it will be interesting to see how the Panthers front office responds.
Olsen appeared on Adam Schefter’s “Know Them From Adam” podcast where he spoke about his relationship with the Panthers and aspirations for a better deal. In fact, he said he wants a new deal that “reflects his productivity” from these last three seasons.
In those last years he’s grabbed 241 receptions for 3,185 yards and 16 touchdowns. Not only is he one of the top targets for Newton, he’s been a model of consistency for the team as well. Since joining the Panthers six seasons ago he’s missed only three of the 96 games held in that time. Now, he wants to be compensated for that continued reliability.
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At 32 years of age, some may wonder how much Olsen has left in the gas tank. Back in 2015 he signed a three-year deal that’s worth $22.5 million. He currently has the seventh highest salary among tight ends in the league. Olsen has been the Panthers leading receiver since Steve Smith left the team at the end of the 2012 regular season. Across the league, he’s considered one of the best to play that position, so it’s understandable that he’s looking to be paid in kind.
One of the strengths of the Panthers front office is that the organization places a value in veteran consistency. In the last few seasons they’ve found ways to keep players like Charles Johnson, Jonathan Stewart, the recently released Mike Tolbert and others on the roster because they respect the veteran leadership that comes with their presence.
In the last few seasons the Panthers have gotten younger on the offense and Olsen’s presence and experience can be leveraged to help welcome these young players to the team and the NFL as a whole.
It isn’t a secret that Greg Olsen is a valuable member of the Carolina Panthers. In some ways, he’s an integral part to Cam Newton’s development as a franchise quarterback. After three years of quality production, he’s asking for a new contract that correlates to that performance.
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As the Panthers look to rebuild an offense that stalled for much of the 2016 season, they should invest in keeping Olsen on the team for at least another three years in hope that his productivity and leadership impacts many seasons beyond that.