CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The tight-end meeting room at Bank of America Stadium isn’t very big, and it didn’t need to be when the Carolina Panthers made a run at the Super Bowl last season.
They had only three tight ends.
But after adding five tight ends over the past few weeks between the draft, undrafted free agents and tryout players, the room suddenly got smaller.
“So we had to pull in some extra cafeteria chairs today to get everyone in the room for the install," Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen said on Wednesday while training to be the pace-car driver for Saturday night’s Sprint All-Star race. “Maybe it’s the phase-out of Greg Olsen."
Uh, no.
The Panthers signed Olsen to a three-year extension last March, meaning he’s locked up through 2018. He’s at the top of his game, catching 77 passes for a career-best 1,104 yards last season.
He also had seven touchdown catches, the second-most of his career.
This isn’t a case like wide receiver Steve Smith and running back DeAngelo Williams where the Panthers are looking to cut Olsen because they believe he’s at the end of his career and they need the salary-cap space.
Top tight ends have proven to be productive well into their mid- to late-30s.
Olsen, 31, shows no sign of being the exception. He hopes there’s one more contract after this one.
But the Panthers are looking to add depth behind Olsen and Ed Dickson, and perhaps to find a second tight end that can be effective as a receiver.
Ideally, the Panthers would like a mix like they had in 2011 when Olsen and Jeremy Shockey were serious receiving threats with 45 and 37 catches, respectively.
Dickson was second among tight ends in receptions last season with 17.
“I think it’s a position of need right now in the NFL," Olsen said of tight ends. “It’s kind of an en-vogue position. Everybody’s trying to find the next guy.
“The reality is I’m not 25 anymore, but I’m also going to make it hard for these young guys to take time away from me. I don’t anticipate slowing down anytime soon.”
The young guys are Scott Simonson, who was on the roster last season, seventh-round draft pick Beau Sandland, undrafted rookies Andrew Bonnet and Jake McGee, tryout signee Braxton Deaver and Marcus Lucas. Lucas, who began his career as a receiver out of Missouri before being converted to tight end, was claimed off waivers on Tuesday from Chicago.
Olsen plans to do whatever he can with each to help develop them. He recalled the "unbelievable mentor" he had in Desmond Clark in 2007 as a rookie with Chicago.
“I understand what that was like to have an older guy not look at you as a threat, look at you as somebody that they can help bring along," Olsen said. “I welcome that opportunity. I’ll always do everything within my power to help them improve and be the best that they can be.
“And at the same time make it really hard for them to ever beat me out."
