Carolina Panthers: The Rising Value of Mike Tolbert

Game 1 is a few days upon us as the Carolina Panthers prepares to travel to Florida to face the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Panthers are in an interesting conundrum as they start the year without one of their main offensive weapons. Kelvin Benjamin went down to due injury before the year started and the organization is scrambling to find his replacement. While they continue that search the team should find some solace in knowing that they have a viable weapon in their own version of “Mr. Consistency:” Mike Tolbert.

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With seven years under his belt, Tolbert is an often forgotten cog in the Panthers’ offense. Historically the team operates under a run-first style of play and Tolbert continues to be a big part of that attack. Even though his statistics do not scream of a player that should be considered a weapon, he’s role as a run blocker for Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams helped that tandem reach much of the success they captured throughout the years. Now that Williams is gone and Benjamin is injured, his role may be increased starting with the first game of the 2015 season.

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“He’s a guy that really makes it hard to predict our offense, because we line him up in so many places and do so many things with him,” Linebacker Thomas Davis said in a report by David Newton of ESPN. “He’s definitely a huge key. You look at games we played last year with him, versus the games we played with him that speaks for itself.”

In 2014 Tolbert appeared in only 8 regular-season games. In those eight games the Panthers put together a 6-2 record. Offensively the Panthers operated much more efficiently and were able to get more players involved throughout the course of the game. This is the type of impact Tolbert has had in the past and hopefully will have in this season.

Most will consider Tolbert a running option first, which fits in well when looking at his build. However, he has shown the ability to catch passes when needed. In 2011 he caught 54 passes while a part of the San Diego Chargers for a career high. The Panthers have not targeted him as often, but he has been very reliable when the ball is sent his way. In three seasons on the roster Tolbert has caught 66 of 89 passes which equates to a 74 percent completion rate. David Newton also reported that Cam Newton is looking to improve his completion percentage and he will need reliable targets such as Tolbert.

That type of consistency is very important for the Panthers offense. Greg Olsen is their only “proven” receiver at this point in time and he should expect ample coverage by opposing defenses. If Tolbert can contribute in both the passing and running game, he can create potential mismatches and openings for other players such as Ted Ginn, Jr., Jerricho Cotchery and Kevin Norwood.

Tolbert’s value will also come into consideration within the running game. Williams is no longer with the team and the load is expected to be carried by Stewart. Unfortunately, Stewart often struggles with injuries which put the onus on rookie Cameron Artis-Payne as his main backup. Tolbert’s experience in the run game makes him a viable backup to handle much of the load, even ahead of the first year player.

A healthy Mike Tolbert is a major part of the Panthers’ offense as they enter the 2015 season. His experience and consistent performance helps the offense as it struggles to find its identity.

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