Carolina Panthers named NFL's worst team in head-scratching area

The Carolina Panthers have been named the worst team in the NFL in an area you wouldn't expect.

Nov 10, 2024; Munich, Germany; Carolina Panthers coach Dave Canales reacts in the second half against the New York Giants during the 2024 NFL Munich Game at Allianz Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers showed significant signs of improvement during the second half of last season thanks much in part to a strong run from quarterback Bryce Young.

As a result, there are some who are fairly bullish on the Panthers' chances in a weak NFC South heading into 2025, but that being said, Carolina still has a long way to go.

The Panthers have definitely bettered their roster this offseason, but there are still some areas in which Carolina could stand to improve.

However, Dalton Wasserman of Pro Football Focus has highlighted a rather puzzling area for the Panthers, dubbing Carolina the weakest team in the NFL when it comes to the tight end position.

"Carolina featured the NFL's lowest-graded tight end unit last season," Wasserman wrote. "The only player of significance they’ve added to that group is fifth-round pick Mitchell Evans. Tommy Tremble has yet to prove himself worthy of a starting role after recording a 52.7 PFF overall grade across his first four seasons. Ja'Tavion Sanders posted a similarly low 52.5 PFF overall grade in his first season of action."

Here's the thing, though: it seems a bit disingenuous to label the Panthers' tight ends unit the worst in the league based on their PFF grade when Sanders was severely compromised by a neck injury over the last six weeks.

Sanders was playing very well prior to suffering the injury in Week 12. He missed the following game and then went without a catch the next three contess before totaling four grabs in Weeks 17 and 18.

The duo of Sanders and Evans is actually very intriguing and could ultimately develop into a strength for Carolina in 2025 due to the freakish athleticism of Sanders and the impressive collegiate production of Evans, who stood out at Notre Dame the last couple of years.

Dec 22, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders (0) takes the field during the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

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