The Carolina Panthers are hoping to repeat last season's NFC South division title, but they certainly aren't hoping to do it in the same fashion that they did last year. Unfortunately, they suffered a huge blow to those chances when they learned that Kelvin Benjamin would miss the entire 2015 season due to a torn ACL. Greg Olsen is one of the players that will have to step up in a big way, and his time for stardom has arrived.
Cam Newton was rewarded with a huge contract extension this past offseason, and there is a lot of pressure on his shoulders to succeed in 2015. Losing Benjamin is going to hurt his chances to do that in a big way, but he still feels confident in the Panthers' chances.
Olsen is, without question, capable of stepping up and being one of the top targets for Newton, and he is one of the most underrated tight ends in the NFL. He caught 84 passes for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns last season. Those numbers are going to climb in a big way this season, and Olsen could end up leading all tight ends in yards and receptions.
At 6-foot-5 and 253 pounds, Olsen is an incredibly athletic player for a man his size. He provides Newton with the type of big target that he needs, and there aren't many defensive players that can stick with him.
Looking ahead to the 2015 season, rookie wide receiver Devin Funchess is likely going to be the Panthers' top receiver on the depth chart. After him, they will have players like Ted Ginn and Jerricho Cotchery, but neither of those guys is going to make a major difference. No player on the roster is capable of making the type of impact that Olsen can in the Carolina offense.
If the Panthers want to compete for another division title, feeding the football to their tight end is a must.
Carolina still has plenty of potential on paper to make a run at contending for a playoff spot. They are going to have to beat out the Atlanta Falcons, but if Olsen steps up like he is capable of doing they should be able to stick with their division rival.
Needless to say, the 2015 season is going to be an extremely intriguing year for the Panthers. Benjamin's injury may have gotten them down for a short period of time, but Newton has never given up hope throughout his career. Olsen is going to become his favorite target immediately, and it will be interesting to see what kind of numbers he ends up recording.
Expect to see him break out and become one of the league's top tight ends. He may not beat out New England Patriots superstar Rob Gronkowski in some categories, but he will certainly be right alongside of him. Olsen may very well be one of the newest NFL stars by the time the 2015 playoffs roll around.
