Panthers on the Roster Bubble: TE Stephen Sullivan

Can the former LSU tight crack the 53-man roster in 2022?

Over the next couple of weeks, we will be previewing the "roster bubble" aka the list of players who are not guaranteed a roster spot when the team trims things all the way down from 90 to 53.

Today's bubble profile: TE Stephen Sullivan

Ian Thomas and Tommy Tremble are the clear-cut top two tight ends on the roster and will receive a heavy workload. That said, Matt Rhule and Ben McAdoo want that room to become deeper. Sullivan spent much of last season on the team's practice squad but he put together a good spring, positioning himself to be the third tight end on the roster. 

As much as McAdoo likes to utilize his tight ends in the passing game, Sullivan is a prime candidate to be used in 13 and 23 personnel packages alongside Tremble and Thomas. Thanks to his background as a receiver, Sullivan is probably the most natural pass catcher of the tight ends on the roster. With his frame, he can even split out as a big slot receiver and work the middle of the field. The one area that Sullivan must continue to work on is blocking. He's not terrible but it was never a priority for him at his recent stops at LSU and Seattle.  

I wouldn't call Sullivan a lock to make the roster, but I do think his athleticism gives him an edge over Colin Thompson.

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