RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesThe Carolina Panthers have grown by leaps and bounds the last couple years under general manager Dan Morgan. However, there are still issues to address—and going into training camp, it doesn't take a pro scout to see what this team's most glaring roster hole is.
According to Matt Okada at NFL.com , tight end is the team's greatest remaining need. If that's not enough to convince you, look no further than the new top-32 tight end rankings from Pro Football Focus.
At the top of the list, you'll see San Francisco 49ers superstar George Kittle, followed by Trey McBride of the Arizona Cardinals , Brock Bowers of the Las Vegas Raiders and Sam LaPorta of the Detroit Lions . Colston Loveland of the Chicago Bears rounds out the top five.
If you scroll down PFF's rankings , you won't find a single Panther in that top 32, which is wrapped up with Theo Johnson of the New York Giants . Last season, Johnson posted 45 catches, 528 receiving yards and five touchdowns as a pass catcher, a big improvement in his production over his rookie year.
Those numbers also dwarf anything that the Panthers have received from their tight end room since Greg Olsen's peak from 2014 to 2016. That was a long time ago, and a near eternity in football years.
In the meantime, Carolina has had dismal production from the room. They haven't had a tight end record at least 400 receiving yards in each of the past six seasons.
Adding more firepower at premium positions like wide receiver or edge might move the need more for the Panthers, but finding a big, reliable safety quarterback Bryce Young has to be considered the biggest shortcoming of this roster right now.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: PFF TE rankings reinforce Panthers' greatest roster need
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