CHARLOTTE Womens Henrik Zetterberg Jersey , N.C. (AP) — The Panthers are beginning to feel like they have hit on something big with fourth-round draft pick Ian Thomas.

The rookie tight end has carried over an outstanding performance in training camp to the preseason, where he showed an impressive burst of speed on a 27-yard catch-and-run touchdown reception from Cam Newton, and delivered a powerful seal block that helped spring Christian McCaffrey for a 71-yard touchdown in Friday night’s preseason win over the Miami Dolphins.

And, he’s still just learning.

“He doesn’t even know how good he’s capable of being,” Newton said of the 6-foot-4, 260-pound Thomas.

The Panthers didn’t know exactly what they were getting with Thomas when they drafted him 101st overall because he hadn’t seen all that much action as a receiver at Indiana. He spent two seasons with the Hoosiers and caught 28 passes, 25 of those as a senior. He spent his first two seasons at Nassau Community College.

But Carolina’s scouts became convinced Thomas has what it takes to be a playmaker, and general manager Marty Hurney was sold on him as he studied more film.

“He’s kind of a little bit of an unknown because he only really played one year of major college football,” Panthers coach Ron Rivera said. “We are fortunate that our college scouts pointed him out as somebody they thought could help us.”

Newton said Thomas’ size and versatility as a receiver and a blocker will make him a “key asset” this season on offense.

Thomas is making a strong case for being Carolina’s No. 2 tight end behind three-time Pro Bowl selection Greg Olsen. The Panthers lost Ed Dickson to free agency and Chris Manhertz hasn’t practiced since the start of training camp due to a leg injury.

Rivera said Thomas’ growth has been noticeably accelerated because of the increased reps he’s received with Manhertz out.

“I think as a young man, he could come in and be a very good second or third behind Greg,” Rivera said. “When Chris gets back, we’ll have a good combination of tight ends.”

Playing alongside Olsen, an 11-year veteran, doesn’t hurt either.

“I think just walking in (to the NFL) he could not have been in a better situation Womens Andrew Cogliano Jersey ,” Newton said. “I kind of just glance over in practice from time to time and see Greg taking him up under his wing, showing him how to practice, how to finish, how to run certain routes. He couldn’t have been in a better situation, learning from him every day.”

All of that is good news for Thomas, who endured plenty of heartache as a child.

When he turned 8, he lost his mother Martha to kidney failure. The next year his father Earl died of a heart attack, leaving the children’s future up in the air. That’s when his then-19-year-old brother Clif Farmer stepped up to gain custody of him. Farmer raised his younger brother from that point forward.

“I want to make them happy and proud,” Thomas said, adding his goal is simply to get better and keep proving himself.

Teammates are noticing.

Panthers middle linebacker Luke Kuechly said Thomas could be on his way to big things in Carolina.

“He does everything the right way,” Kuechly said. “He blocks, he catches well and he runs well. I think he has picked things up really well.”

NOTES: Panthers starting left tackle Matt Kalil was scheduled to meet with a physician Monday after missing his second straight practice with knee soreness. Kalil has been battling issues since the middle of training camp. The team had no immediate word on the extent of that injury. The Panthers can ill afford to lose a third starter on the offensive line after right tackle Daryl Williams and left guard Amini Silatolu went down with injuries.

Paxton Lynch inched closer to full-blown bust status Monday when he was demoted to third string after Chad Kelly's solid debut in the Denver Broncos' exhibition opener.

"Chad's played well. He played well in the scrimmage. He played well Saturday night. So he deserves the chance to be the 2 right now," coach Vance Joseph said.

Lynch was disappointed, Joseph said Youth Brandon Carlo Jersey , "but he understands that it's a performance business."

"He has great potential, physical potential. But it's got to equal performance eventually," Joseph said. "He understands that. It's a performance league. And everything we do, it's graded and it's counted."

After a string of poor performances at training camp, Lynch was ineffective in seven series Saturday night against Minnesota, completing 6 of 11 passes for 24 yards and an interception to go with a sack.

Kelly, who missed his rookie season last year while recovering from wrist and knee injuries, completed 14 of 21 passes for 177 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in Denver's 42-28 loss to the Vikings.

Kelly celebrated his promotion by sticking around after practice Monday and throwing passes to tight end Jake Butt and receiver River Cracraft for more than 20 minutes.

Kelly thanked his teammates, saying they had just as much to do with his promotion.

"Those guys made the plays. They got me in the right protections and the guys with the ball in their hands made plays," Kelly said.

When Case Keenum signed this spring and Trevor Siemian was subsequently traded to the Vikings, Broncos general manager John Elway said the No. 2 QB job was up for grabs.

Lynch, however, worked exclusively with the second-string offense until Monday Christopher Tanev Jersey , when they flip-flopped roles, leaving Lynch a sideline spectator during the two-minute drills, reflective of his new status as the team's third quarterback.

The switch at QB is as much a reward for Kelly's solid offseason as it is an indictment of Lynch, who hasn't made the strides Joseph and Elway expected of him in Year 3 鈥?especially without the pressure of having to vie for the starting job again.

"It's really more about what Chad's done, honestly 鈥?and Chad has played well, he's played with poise, he's played with confidence," Joseph said. "He moved the ball for us on Saturday night. And it's been that way since the spring. He had a great spring. He's had a great camp. So, it's his turn to be the 2. He's earned that right."

Lynch was beaten out by Siemian, a seventh-round draft pick, in each of the last two summers and now has fallen behind another seventh-rounder in Kelly, who was the final pick of the 2017 NFL draft.

Joseph noted that the competition isn't over, the depth chart remains fluid.

"And it rewards guys who are playing well," Joseph said. "It's only right. That's what we live by with our players: if you're playing well and you earn it Luke Glendening Jersey , you push up and you get it. It's a fair league."

Kelly could stay ahead of Lynch on the depth chart and still not win the backup job, though, if the Broncos decide to go out and get an experienced free agent instead.

Asked if he'd have any reservations about going into the regular season with the inexperienced Kelly as his No. 2 QB, Joseph said, "Things change in this league all the time. But right now, he's our backup."

Joseph cautioned that "we've got to be patient with Chad."

"You want a guy who can go into a game and operate the offense and not beat his own football team, but also have the confidence to make some plays and lead our unit," Joseph said when pressed for what he needs to see from Kelly or Lynch to stick with one of them as Keenum's No. 2.

Kelly knows he'll have his doubters.

"You've just got to work hard. That's what it is," he said. "Even the best ones are still working hard. They don't know everything. And obviously me being in my second year, I don't know anything. So, I've got to work hard, I've got to watch more film than I ever have before. And when your time's called, you'd better be able to step up and go."

Cleveland Browns Jerseys