Carolina Panthers: Shaq Thompson’s option should be exercised
Shaq Thompson is a key part in this Carolina Panthers linebacker group, so the team should exercise the option in his contract to keep him though 2019.
The 2018 offseason is a compelling time for the Carolina Panthers. The organization is looking to rebuild not only the offense and defensive units, but they are looking to right the ship in a front office that has gone haywire. When looking at that defense, there are a number of impact players that are in line to experience a pay increase for their production. Shaq Thompson is one of those players and Carolina should focus on keeping him in Charlotte.
Carolina’s linebacker core is the power of that defense. The trio of Thompson, Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis is widely considered amongst the best in the league. But change is coming. Davis has announced that he plans to retire after the 2018 season. Kuechly’s high-impact style often results in him ending up in the concussion protocol at some point in the year. In three years, Thompson has been one of the most consistent parts of this defense, appearing in 42 of a possible 48 regular season games. And he’s produced very well during that time.
Since being drafted by the Panthers in 2015, Thompson has amassed 106 total tackles, forced one fumble and snatched one interception. Thompson’s stat line doesn’t jump off of the page, but he complements Davis and Kuechly very well.
His presence allows them to play with a more wide open style, which equates to the big plays that not only they make, but those of other players on the defense as well. When Davis retires he’d be the only other player currently on the roster with a wealth of experience which is key at this level of football.
Coming into this offseason, Carolina has the opportunity to exercise the option in his contract which will keep him in place through 2019. In 2018, he will be a cap hit worth approximately $3 million dollars with a base pay just under $1 million. Not only should the Panthers take advantage of this contractual stipulation, but the team should also look at offering him a new contract at the end of this coming season. Doing so at this time will allow them to keep an integral part of their defense and do so at a lower price point than is he were to become a free agent.
It will be interesting to see if the Panthers make any decisions during the draft to pick up a linebacker. Thompson is the youngest linebacker on the roster and Carolina needs to make a wholesale move to get younger on both sides of the ball.
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This may be a time for the team to look at the draft to bring in another impact player that can be built up over time, but Thompson is a key aspect of the success in that position for the long term. At 23-years old he has a lot of room to grow not only physically, but when it comes to his intelligence during game time.
The Carolina Panthers have a lot of decisions to make during this offseason. One of those to make is whether or not the team exercises the option in Shaq Thompson’s contract. Looking at the current makeup of this unit the organization should do so to positively impact the future of the defense.