Dave Canales has a tight end room with options, and Tommy Tremble is still the name at the top of it.
The Panthers listed Tremble first on their Week 1 depth chart, and the former Notre Dame standout is expected to start Sunday’s opener against the visiting Chicago Bears. Last season, he put up career highs with 27 catches and 249 yards, but his place as a primary target for Bryce Young will require more than what he’s delivered across 78 career games: 112 catches.
That’s the challenge for Carolina as it tries to defend its NFC South title. The tight ends haven’t been a major engine for this offense in years, combining for just 319 receptions since the start of the 2020 season, the fewest in the league over that span. It has also been six seasons since Greg Olsen topped 500 yards.
Still, the Panthers are clearly planning to use the position differently under Canales and offensive coordinator Brad Idzik, who is expected to open things up a bit from the run-heavy approach and mix in more stretch plays. Some of those concepts are designed to feature a five-man tight end group that gives Carolina a range of skill sets.
Mitchell Evans was listed second on Tuesday’s depth chart, with Darren Waller behind him, followed by Ja’Tavion Sanders and Feleipe Franks.
“Each guy brings something different to the table,” Tremble said following practice Sept. 1. “It’s really good when you have a lot of people that can do a lot of different things.”
Canales laid out the group’s pieces in more detail, pointing to Evans’ size and ability to handle outside linebackers and defensive ends, Tremble’s mix of physical run blocking and field-stretching speed, and Sanders’ all-around versatility.
“You have Mitch Evans, who is a big, wide (and) can body up with OLBs (and) defensive ends,” he said.
“You have Tommy (Tremble), who's got versatility (and is) physical in the run game, fast enough to stretch the field and make things happen.
“You have J-T (Sanders), who kind of does a little bit of all of it. He can play in the slot as a receiver and then you talk about JT's ability to contribute on special teams, which he has improved over the course of time."
Canales also singled out Franks as a standout on special teams while noting his progress as a tight end and as a pass catcher.
“Feleipe (is) one of the really premier special teams players in the league,” he said. “And then watching his growth as a tight end and his pass-catching ability is really intriguing.
“And of course, rounding it off with Darren Waller. We know what he looks like on film. We know the element he can bring to us.”
Waller, a former Pro Bowler who signed late in training camp, twice went over 1,000 receiving yards before retiring last season. He was listed Tuesday as TE3.
That leaves Tremble with the job of holding his spot while Waller settles in, and Carolina’s plans at the position suddenly look a lot more layered than they have in years.
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