Is it Tommy Tremble's Time to Shine?
The Panthers' offensive line had some issues against the New York Jets which led to QB Sam Darnold being hit eight times throughout the game. Dennis Daley filled in at right guard for John Miller who was on the reserve/COVID-19 list which is a side of the line he is unfamiliar with. Pat Elflein and Cameron Erving both had their fair share of struggles on the left side and at times, looked overmatched.
How do the Panthers fix this problem? Well, I'm not sure that you're going to be able to find the perfect solution until we reach the offseason but in the meantime, one idea may be to get rookie tight end Tommy Tremble more involved as an extension of the offensive line.
Coming out of Notre Dame, Tremble was highly regarded as the best blocking tight end in the 2021 NFL Draft. He only caught 35 passes for 401 yards and four touchdowns during his time with the Fighting Irish but he wasn't asked to be a major threat in the passing game. That aspect of his game is still coming along but offensive coordinator, Joe Brady, says that he is been putting in the work day in and day out to become a better receiver and has also had the help of a fellow teammate.
"Yesterday, I saw him out there working late and you've got the Colin Thompson's of the world that are kind of taking him under the wing and showing him the ways, so he's going to continue to get better as the year goes on."
If there is one week where the Panthers really need to make sure they have things cleaned up in pass protection, it's this week against the New Orleans Saints. The Saints have arguably one of the best front sevens in the NFL and with Carolina's documented struggles along the offensive line, it makes sense for Tremble to be more involved in the game plan because of his ability to block.
"Tommy, the tight ends, I think they all bring a unique characteristic to this offense and those are all guys that we need to continue to get involved and find ways to move him [Tommy] around and help," Joe Brady said. "Tommy has been coming to work. He's a first year player and there's going to see some bumps and bruises but he comes to work every single day and he stays late."
The Panthers and Saints are set to kickoff this Sunday at 1 p.m. on FOX.
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