Ian Thomas Could Be On The Chopping Block

Carolina Panthers tight end Ian Thomas could become a salary cap casualty this offseason. He's good at blocking, but he's not the receiver this team needs and he has a $6.7 million cap hit in 2023. Cutting him with a post-June 1 designation would free up $3.1 million. The Panthers could then use those savings to sign a veteran in free agency, such as Dallas' Dalton Schultz or Jacksonville's Evan Engram. Carolina hasn't had a dependable pass-catching tight end sine Greg Olsen left in 2020. The 26-year-old Thomas failed to find the end zone in 2022 and finished with just 21 catches for 197 yards on 30 targets in 17 games played. His best season was his rookie year in 2018, when he had 36 receptions for 333 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games (six starts).