Dein erstes Forum » The Panthers may have struck salary cap gold with their

fourth round tight end"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Keep Sounding PodcastPanthers 2019 NFL DraftCSR Film RoomIan Thomas and the value of mid-round picksNew Womens DJ Moore Jersey ,16commentsThe Panthers may have struck salary cap gold with their fourth round tight endESTShareTweetShareShareIan Thomas and the value of mid-round picksTrevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY SportsAs we reflect back on 2018 and look forward to 2019’s roster needs, this is a good time to shine a spotlight the value of successful mid-round picks like tight end Ian Thomas. The Carolina Panthers invested a 2018 fourth round pick (No. 101 overall) in Thomas, a raw, athletic prospect with upside coming out of Indiana. Fortunately for the Panthers it looks like they may have nailed this selection. Thomas made meaningful contributions and demonstrated noticeable improvement throughout his rookie campaign. This isn’t always the case for mid-round picks with terms like “raw” and “upside” attached to their names. Getting solid contributions from mid-round picks on rookie contracts is one of the most significant competitive advantages in the NFL. It opens up millions of salary cap dollars for teams to use elsewhere. Let’s now collectively salivate over Ian Thomas’ delicious cap hit by year during his 4-year, $3.2 million rookie deal, per Over the Cap:2018: $667k2019: $757k2020: $847k2021: $937kRemember, this is a rookie who produced 25 receptions for 246 yards and two touchdowns over the Panthers final five games. If he can continue to build his rapport with Cam Newton and learn from Greg Olsen in 2019, his production in 2020 and 2021 has the potential to dwarf his cap hit. In the NFL a player’s value isn’t measured by comparing his production to every other player at his position. True value is measured by production relative to a player’s cap hit, making young, inexpensive contributors like Thomas an incredibly valuable asset for teams with limited cap space like the Panthers. Finding productive mid-round picks is far from a sure thing. There’s a reason most guys taken in the fourth and fifth rounds, for example Donte Jackson Jersey White , are still available. The Panthers drafted 24 players in the fourth and fifth rounds between 2006 and 2017, per Football Reference. Of those 24 players only nine have started more than six games in their careers. By my estimation, only three became consistent impact players - Josh Norman, Daryl Williams (pre-injury), and A.J. Klein. While Ian Thomas exceeded expectations in his rookie campaign and we have reason to be optimistic about his future, there are no guarantees he gets significantly better from here. He won’t catch opposing defenses by surprise anymore. He can improve as a blocker and route runner. His opportunities in 2019 will largely be a function of Greg Olsen’s health. Many players look promising early in their careers then flame out under the rigors of the NFL. That said, it’s reasonable today to pencil in Ian Thomas as the Panthers starting tight end of the future. With yearly caps hits below $1 million through 2021 the Panthers didn’t just make a good pick with Ian Thomas, they may have struck gold. Welcome back to the 2018 edition of Step UP or Step OUT, a series on CSR that is intended to look at players who are playing well and highlight a few that need to step their game up. Think of it as a heat index for the Carolina Panthers; guys who are playing well are stepping up and those who aren’t need to improve their game or. . . step out.This week we’ll look at some guys that really popped off the screen during week two and need to maintain that intensity heading into our week three contest against the Cincinnati Bengals. The others mentioned, well. . . they need to play better or maybe just step out of the way and let someone else take over.Steppin’ UPChristian McCaffreyHeat Rating: A pizza roll, between two bagel bites https://www.pantherslockerroom.com/authentic-dj-moore-jersey , inside a pepperoni hot pocket.Through two weeks of the season, Christian “Deuce Deuce” McCaffrey has 234 yards from scrimmage, and has proven to be the most useful weapon Cam Newton has. More importantly, he has put to rest any kind of doubt in his toughness. This past week, the man steamrolled multiple defenders while fighting for first downs on more than one occasion, including pushing through the bear hug of a Falcons defensive line for a few extra clicks. It was impressive to see for a man his stature, and it’s only a taste of things to come.Cam Newton“Drip” level: Post Hurricane Florence humidity type drippin’Cam Newton was brilliant Sunday in a losing effort that was brought up through no fault of his own. He did take a couple of risky passes under pressure that were ill-advised and gladly didn’t end up as interceptions, but by and large, his receiver corps needs to play better. Cam found most of his success over the middle, and turned in an elite level completion percentage of 71%, despite five drops https://www.pantherslockerroom.com/authentic-curtis-samuel-jersey , gaudy enough to make even the most discerning hater take notice. If the offensive line can do their best Hodor impression against the Bengals, there is no reason to believe that Cam won’t have another really good day.Chris Clark and Taylor MotonHeat Rating: The grilled cheese sandwich in the middle of your panini pressFor two guys not expected to have starting jobs as tackles in the NFL at the beginning of the preseason, this was an impressive outing for these bookends. Particular kudos go to Chris Clark for only allowing two pressures on less than a week of practice. Taylor Moton didn’t allow a single one, even while having to switch back to the right side, and if you ask me, he is currently the team MVP. Steppin’ OUTTorrey SmithCold Rating: The hands of an outdoor wedding ice sculptureWhile he did catch a touchdown pass on Sunday, it doesn’t really make up for letting at least two passes slip straight through his hands earlier contributing to stalled drives. This has been a knock that has followed him his entire career, and it doesn’t look like the veteran has suddenly changed his ways. I expect that DJ Moore is going to start poaching some snaps from him sooner than later, or better yet, the added heat will bring out the best in him.Julius PeppersCold Rating: Currently frozen pot stickers that will soon unfreeze in my frying panWe have to remember that Julius is only currently heading into week three of the preseason, so at least this is going to be the dress rehearsal game Blue Matt Paradis Jersey , right? The future hall of famer’s impact has been extremely limited during the first two bouts of the year, and it’s time for him to wake up and step UP. Cameron Jordan seems to think a whole lot of him, and I know we all do as well, but if he’s going to continue his storied career, we need to start seeing something soon. Greg Van RotenCold Rating: Eh... more like a cold beverage that is starting to approach room temperatureI’ve got a lot of love for Greg Van Roten. He’s never given up on his dream, and has finally earned a starting job as a left guard for the Carolina Panthers through his determination. That said, he still has a lot to learn technique-wise. He has a tendency to get flat footed and lean his midsection in toward the defender he is blocking sometimes. What that does is ruin his power base, and the moment it happens you usually seem him go flying backward straight toward Cam Newton. It happened twice against the Falcons, and Geno Atkins will be terrorizing the interior for the Bengals. Greg will really need to be on his game for the Panthers to have a shot.