Carolina Panthers vs. Cleveland Browns: 5 Players to watch in Week 14
5. Ian Thomas
A surprise pick for No. 5 perhaps, as Ian Thomas just makes the list. Filling in for Greg Olsen, the fourth-round rookie out of Indiana has big shoes to fill this week. But his debut couldn’t have come at a better time, as his team gets to face the Cleveland Browns this week.
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The Browns are much improved from past seasons, but they still have a ton of trouble covering tight ends. Especially with linebacker Christian Kirksey out on injury, the Browns will have a tough task ahead of them guard the 6-4, 259-pound Thomas.
Thomas hasn’t seen a lot of targets this season, with only 16 receptions on the season for 133 yards. But he can expect his numbers to go way up in this game. If Ron Rivera is worth his salt as a head coach, he should be scheming plays for Thomas in the pass game. Thomas won’t be the bread and butter of Carolina’s offense, but he’ll certainly be taking a much bigger role this week.
Carolina needs a jolt offensively, and a solid performance by Ian Thomas could be just what the doctor ordered for Cam Newton and Co. With Greg Olsen out for the year, this could be Ian Thomas’s coming-out party for the NFL world, or the Browns could finally learn to cover a tight end.