A Bright Future Still Ahead? The Panthers Hold Tommy Tremble in 'High Regard'

Carolina likes the overall makeup of the tight end room and feel really good about Tommy Tremble in Dave Canales' offense.

Production in the passing game out of the tight end position has been non-existent since the day Greg Olsen walked out the door.

Ian Thomas learned from Olsen for two years and there was some hope that he would slide in and maybe not replicate 88's production, but be a reliable target. Unfortunately, he's never really developed that aspect of his game, but he is however, one of the better blocking tight ends in the league.

Tommy Tremble was taken in the third round of the 2021 draft and with his combination of physicality and versatility, the expectations for him were considerably high. In his first three seasons, Tremble has logged just 62 receptions for 548 yards and seven touchdowns. It's not elite production by any means, but this new coaching staff and front office have confidence in him, along with the rest of the room.

"Tommy Tremble, he's one of those guys that we hold in high regard," GM Dan Morgan said earlier this week. "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. And then Stephen Sullivan is another guy we're excited about. It's not like we don't have tight ends because we are excited about our guys, but again we're always going to be looking to fill our roster out and draft or sign good football players."

Head coach Dave Canales echoed similar sentiments.

“We loved Tommy going back (to the draft). (Tight ends coach) Pat McPherson and I, going back to the Seattle days, we liked him coming out and we’ve watched him progress. We’re excited about Tommy and what we can do with him. We see him similar to some of the guys we had in Seattle with Colby Parkinson, Noah Fant, and that mold Ian Thomas… same thing - a bigger guy that also has the ability to stretch the field, so I’m excited about that group. I feel good about those two. I feel good about Sully (Stephen Sullivan) and his continued development. We had Sully in Seattle. I feel good about the group in general, but you’re always going to need four or five, so I’d lilke to add another versatile, Swiss Army Knife tight end to the group.”

The Panthers will certainly add to this group in one way or another in the coming months, but one thing folks need to keep in mind is that Tremble is still extremely young. By the time the 2024 season rolls around, he'll be 24-years-old with three years of experience under his belt. There is still plenty of time for him to blossom.