Carolina wants (and needs) more help from the tight ends

TROY HULL | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Tommy Tremble, an afterthought in the Panthers offense over his first three NFL seasons, has greater expectations to produce in new coach Dave Canales’ scheme.

The Carolina Panthers’ tight ends want to escape.

They want to be released from multi-season mediocrity.

They want to be counted on to help Bryce Young become a bona fide NFL quarterback.

“We’ve been kind of in purgatory for a little bit,’’ tight end Tommy Tremble told ESPN.

Low-production purgatory is one way to describe a position group that has yet to establish an offensive presence since Greg Olson departed as a free agent before the 2020 campaign. From 2013-16, Olsen caught 314 passes for 4,001 yards, 22 touchdowns, and three Pro Bowl berths.

Over the past four seasons, Carolina tight ends combined for 181 receptions, 1,734 yards and 10 TDs, the NFL’s fewest. In comparison, the Kansas City Chiefs’ tight ends, paced by future Hall of Famer Travis Kelce, collected 505 catches for 5,888 yards and 47 scores.

Enter new coach Dave Canales and his tight-end friendly offense.

Developed over 11 seasons as an assistant coach with the Seattle Seahawks and last year as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator, Canales intends to have the tight ends play an expanded role.

“We don’t ask our tight ends to be dominant blockers at the point of attack on runs a lot,” he said last month during OTAs. “We’re looking for tight ends with versatility. We’re not necessarily looking for that big 270-pound baller type of tight end, although those guys are awesome and have a place in this league.

“But if you have a smaller guy who’s more of a route runner and he’s a little bit crafty, then just within the scheme, because we throw a lot of play-actions, the tight ends are involved in different ways.’”

Ideally, Canales and new offensive coordinator Brad Idzik want to design a system that allows tight ends to create mismatches like drag routes against linebackers and providing secondary targets when the pocket breaks down.

Canales said he is eager to see what the tight end corps accomplishes in the new system.

Of the five players on the 90-man roster, Tommy Tremble, rookie Ja’Tavion Sanders and blocking specialist Ian Thomas are battling to earn spots atop the depth chart. Stephen Sullivan, who played for Canales with the Seahawks, and eight-year veteran Jordan Mathews round out the position group.

“We’re excited about Tommy and what we can do with him,” Canales said. “We see him similar to some of the guys we had in Seattle with Colby Parkinson, Noah Fant, and in that mold Ian Thomas, same thing. Bigger guy that also has the ability to stretch the field.”

The X-factor could be Sanders, the third-round draft pick from Texas. Over the last two seasons, Sanders compiled 99 catches and ran a 4.69-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.

“I was a receiver in high school so I’m kind of advanced as far as my receiving goes,” Sanders said. “Just my ability to create mismatches, wherever I’m at on the field. Having the ability to do that, just putting in the defense’s mind they’ve always got to know where I’m at.”

As the potential starter, the 24-year-old Tremble, who had 23 receptions last season, is entering his fourth NFL season with growing expectations.

“Tommy Tremble, he’s one of those guys that we hold in high regard”“ Panthers general manager Dan Morgan said. “The way that he developed last year and the way that we feel like he’s coming along, we’re really excited about that.

“Ian Thomas is a blocking veteran and he’s one of the better blocking Ys at the point of attack.”

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