A fourth-round pick in 2018, tight end Ian Thomas has seen quite a bit during his six seasons with the Carolina Panthers. But what he has yet to see is sustained success, particularly at his position.
The Panthers have experienced some of the NFL’s worst production out of the tight end spot in recent years. Over the last four, in fact, all Carolina tight ends combined for just 1,734 yards and 10 touchdowns on 181 receptions.
Thomas, however, thinks there’s a change on the horizon. He spoke with ESPN’s David Newton about the team’s new offense under new head coach Dave Canales and had this to say:
“It’s perfect for tight ends because you get to be yourself. They give you a lot of opportunities, a lot of chances to fit in and mold into the offense. It’s different setups that have given us mismatches. It is working well so far.”
Going into his seventh pro campaign, Thomas has amassed just 1,055 receiving yards and four touchdowns grabs himself. The team restructured his deal earlier this offseason to keep him onboard for 2024.
Newton also asked Canales about his tight end-friendly system this past Wednesday.
“Within our system, we use their skill sets and we’re looking for tight ends with versatility,” he replied. “We’re not necessarily looking for that big 275-pound mauler type of tight end, although those guys are awesome and they 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 at the run, you can slide him back and block a defensive end on the backside. You can send him up away from a defensive end, in or out depending on where his alignment is.”
In addition to Thomas, Canales and the Panthers may look to feature fourth-year veteran Tommy Tremble and this year’s fourth-round pick Ja’Tavion Sanders.
