The Panthers made a roster move on Friday, cutting backup tight end Marcus Baugh, per the league’s transaction report. Baugh spent the entire 2019 season on the injured reserve list. He played his college career at Ohio State, totaling 607 yards and eight touchdowns on 55 catches.
Losing Baugh is no big deal for the team’s tight end depth chart. However, Carolina also released veteran Greg Olsen a few weeks ago and he’s since sinced with Seattle. While he’s not the same Olsen he was from 2014-2016 when he was the most consistently productive tight end in the league, Olsen was still the best option on the roster and they’ll likely miss him in 2020.
Ian Thomas is the heir apparent for Olsen’s playing time. In 2019, he flashed some ability late in the season and finished with 136 yards and a touchdown. Thomas has also had some issues with drops, though and he has very limited experience, having only played 828 offensive snaps in the NFL.
The Panthers might want to consider picking a tight end in this year’s draft. Thaddeus Moss is a popular mock pick for Carolina. He played in Joe Brady’s offense at LSU and his dad was pretty decent at catching a ball.
