Greg Olsen has been an important part of the Carolina Panthers offense since arriving, but the team must prepare for life without the tight end.
After a mediocre 2016 season, the Carolina Panthers spent much of the off season not only rebuilding for this coming year, but putting pieces in place for long-term success. As the roster continues to be infused with youth, there’s one position where veteran leadership has become a mainstay in recent years.
At tight end, Greg Olsen has produced impressive seasons one after another. Heading into 2017 team leadership and fans alike hope for the same type of performance, but there should be concern for the future as well. Six years ago Olsen joined the Panthers via a trade for a third round pick in the 2012 draft. What seemed like a “bargain” back then has paid dividends for Carolina. Olsen’s production has steadily grown and he’s become an integral part to this offense.
His total stat line with Carolina includes 428 receptions for 5384 yards and 32 touchdowns. When compared to his time in Chicago where he had only 1981 yards and 20 touchdowns, it’s understandable why both the team and the player want to keep this relationship together.
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But Olsen is 32 years old and entering his 11th NFL season. At some point, his production is going to drop off as he moves towards the end of his career. The injury woes that plagued his time with the Bears seem to be behind him as he’s missed only three games in six seasons.
Still, a sudden injury has limited players in the past and the Panthers need to be prepared for a potential moment where they are without their star tight end. Right now, one must wonder if the team is prepared to handle such a situation. With the actions the team has taken in the last few months, it seems as if leadership is also concerned with that answer.
During the off season the Panthers have made a concerted effort to add youth to this position. With the recent signing of Desean Smith, his name joins the roster that includes Chris Manhertz, Scott Simonson, and Eric Wallace as a group of tight ends with three years or less in the NFL. Ed Dickson may be the primary backup behind Olsen, but each of these men have the potential to earn playing time this season and have a long term impact in this offense.
While none of these players may be ready to step in immediately, they have the prime opportunity to play behind Olsen and begin to be groomed for future chances in this offense.
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The preseason is going to be the starting point to see which of these players find a position behind Olsen and Dickson, while pushing their name to the top of the list as long term replacements. The Panthers made a move to find Jonathan Stewart’s successor and perhaps it’s time to do the same for Greg Olsen. He’s been one of the best parts of the Panthers offense since joining this team but the organization should begin to take steps towards keeping that success at tight end going.