TE Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers

HT: 6-5, WT: 255, Born: 3-11-1985, College: Miami, Drafted: Round 1, Pick 31

2013 Projections

Average draft position

Current as of May 6th. [Full ADP list]

Overall: L Moore (98), A Gates (99), Greg Olsen (100), B Brown (101), D Williams (102)
Position: O Daniels (97-TE9), A Gates (99-TE10), Greg Olsen (100 - TE11), J Finley (109-TE12), J Gresham (121-TE13)
Click here for a comparison of these players.

PPR Average draft position

Current as of May 6th. [Full PPR ADP list]

Overall: W McGahee (97), L Moore (98), Greg Olsen (99), E Lacy (100), J Rodgers (101)
Position: T Gonzalez (94-TE9), A Gates (95-TE10), Greg Olsen (99 - TE11), J Finley (103-TE12), J Gresham (106-TE13)
Click here for a comparison of these players.

2013 Schedule

2012 Game Summaries

Week 1 - Greg Olsen was the dependable outlet for Newton all game long against a Tampa Bay defense that would not allow the big play. Olsen astutely found the soft spots in Cover-2 and consistently escaped from man coverage underneath when the Bucs mixed it up. Showing soft hands, running good routes and being a nuisance for the Bucs was his game. Olsen did not produce any explosive plays, but his impact on this offense will be felt and he could reach the top-10 TE region if he continues to see consistent targets.

Week 2 - Unlike last week when Greg Olsen was the target of underneath throws, this week the Panthers ran the football effectively and Olsen’s main involvement was blocking downfield. Olsen’s only reception came on a crossing pattern off a QB rollout. He is a back-up TE for all intents and purposes.

Week 3 - With the downfield passing game not clicking, Newton settled for a lot of underneath passes as the game got out of hand. Greg Olsen was the beneficiary, much like his role in Week 1 against Tampa Bay. Olsen made some tremendous catches, including a diving reception between the hashes for a 23-yard gain. Olsen, although not dynamic, showed good tackle-breaking ability on one catch and run. Overall, Olsen is a decent low-end TE1 who will see his value rise and fall depending on the game situation.

Week 4 - Greg Olsen was a favorite target of Cam Newton against the Falcons, getting open with ease and being used all over the field. Olsen was lined up as a WR for his lone touchdown. Smith drew the coverage from the slot, as Olsen ran a short hitch route. Newton found him quickly and Olsen broke a tackle to finish the job. The Panthers use Olsen in various ways to exploit match-ups, and he thrives in these situations. Late in the game, Olsen – again lined up wide – blew past the CB in coverage and caught a 20+ yard pass in stride. If Olsen continues to be a factor as a weapon inside and outside the numbers, this pass offense can reach new heights.

Week 5 - Greg Olsen, after being a favourite target of Cam Newton for the past few weeks, seemed to be on the periphery from the beginning of this game. With the entire offense unable to get a rhythm, Olsen was not targeted until the fourth quarter. He caught consecutive passes for 10+ yards – one on a seam pattern, the other on a backside crossing route as the defense was sucked one way by play action. Olsen was given blocking assignments for a great deal of the game and had very little impact on a day when Cam Newton and the Panthers offense struggled mightily.

Week 7 - Greg Olsen was not much of a factor in this football game, mainly being utilised as a blocker and outlet receiver. Olsen’s best contribution was a 14-yard reception on an out pattern late in the game. In another up and down outing for Carolina’s offense, Olsen was the one who had to suffer this week.

Week 8 - Olsen was targeted five times in the first half and then never again in the game—an odd choice for a team which needs athletic players to make some plays. He was the intended target on Cam Newton’s second quarter interception. On the play, Olsen was out near the sideline and Newton was under pressure. Newton threw a very soft, pretty short pass towards Olsen. It isn’t clear if he thought Olsen would come back for it and the tight end probably should have considering the duress his quarterback was under. Regardless, Tim Jennings made an incredible diving catch to intercept the ball.

Week 9 - Greg Olsen was a reliable short to intermediate target for Newton as per usual, working the deep out, the curl and the square-in to great effect to present a big pass-catching target. Olsen also demonstrated his effectiveness as a run blocker on some outside sweep runs, allowing his running backs to get the edge. Olsen continues to be a #2 target in this passing attack, but with the passing offense not required as much in this game due to the Panthers’ lead and a below average number of plays, his role was limited.

Week 10 - Greg Olsen registered a pair of touchdowns on a day where he represented the lone bright spot for the Panthers’ offense. The Broncos’ coverage kept the receivers under wraps, but Olsen managed to get free by running good routes and getting separation. Olsen defeated the Broncos’ zone coverage for a few big catches early on, including a 27-yard catch on a blown coverage. He finished that same drive with a touchdown, sneaking out the back side after he faked a block in the red zone – it looked like a designed play. It worked to perfection. After this point, the Panthers’ offense began to struggle mightily; they didn’t convert a single third down in the period from Olsen’s first touchdown until the fourth quarter. Olsen recorded a few more receptions with mere minutes remaining to boost his numbers, but finished strong with another touchdown. The play was a crossing route in the red zone; Olsen managed to slip away from the LB in coverage and reached the ball out over the goal line for the score. What is unfortunate is that had the Panthers’ offense been able to click, this may have been a much bigger day for Olsen.

Week 11 - Continuing to operate as the clear number two option behind Steve Smith in the progressions of quarterback Cam Newton, Greg Olsen was his usual steady self. Newton has eyes for Olsen in the red zone and had the trust in him to throw up a pass as Olsen made a beeline for the back pylon. Defensive pass interference was called on SS Mark Barron, who couldn’t adjust to the ball, but Olsen would have caught it otherwise. Olsen was utilised in bunch sets quite often in an attempt to ‘rub’ defenders in man coverage; this formation worked a treat on a 32-yard seam pattern. Olsen ran by the covering defensive backs like they didn’t exist and boxed out the FS by making a tremendous leaping grab. Where Olsen served as a safety valve for his quarterback last season, this season he has developed into a multi-faceted weapon.

Week 12 - Greg Olsen was kept quiet for the majority of this game as the Panthers often kept him in to block. When he went out in patterns, he was limited to short gains apart from a 23-yard catch on a corner route that was perfectly lofted by Newton. Olsen’s hot streak may have come to an end, but the Panthers’ offensive line struggles meant that Olsen had to at least chip on defensive ends, disrupting the timing of his patterns.

Week 13 - Greg Olsen only caught one pass, but it went for a 47-yard touchdown. Olsen ran a seam route off a great play fake by Newton. The nickel CB, who had responsibility in zone for cushioning Olsen’s route and carrying it up the field to the safety, bit hard. Olsen had real estate behind him and Newton tossed a lovely floated pass into his stride. Olsen showed off his breakaway speed to reach the pylon for the touchdown. With the Panthers aware of the Chiefs’ edge rushing threat, Olsen was kept in to block for the majority of snaps, hence his lack of receptions. In the second half, Olsen was targeted on a sail route off play action – and did get open – but the pass came a half-second too late.

Week 14 - Greg Olsen announced his presence early, grabbing a beautiful Cam Newton pass in the end zone that was lofted perfectly over the trailing S for a touchdown. Olsen used his six-foot-four frame to reach above the S and Newton trusted him to come down with it. Olsen was quiet for the majority of the game after that catch, and did not garner as many targets as he had in previous weeks. Instead, as Newton fed the football to the in-form Steve Smith, Olsen was left as the second or third option in the progression. In the second half, Newton connected with Olsen on a key third down for 18 yards. Off play action, Olsen snaked behind the LB in coverage and dove for a nice grab.

Week 15 - Olsen was able to get open almost at will, and one got the sense that if the Chargers could have kept this a game, Olsen would have put up a monster stat line. As it was, nearly all of his damage came in the first half when he worked the sidelines and middle of the field to perfection. Unfortunately for Olsen owners, with the team leading by 21 at the half and 31 by the beginning of the fourth quarter, head coach Ron Rivera kind of took the air out of the ball and looked to a very run-heavy approach with some conservative passes thrown in here and there. It was good for the Panthers, but it was not exactly a formula for huge fantasy passing success.

Week 16 - Greg Olsen continued his strong campaign with another couple of highlight reel plays. His rapport with Cam Newton seems to go from strength to strength. In particular, a crossing pattern that Olsen caught between two defenders on a peach of a pass from Newton was stunning. Olsen’s lone mental error was a dropped pass between the numbers on a seam route; unopposed, and with no defender in the area, he simply dropped it, although it wasn’t an ideal pass. Although Olsen’s yardage total was not eye-popping, his reliable hands and crisp route-running make him the perfect target for a quarterback who is still maturing.

Week 17 - Greg Olsen maintained his rapport with Cam Newton, even if the numbers in the box score do not suggest this was the case. When Newton needed a check-down option, Olsen was always available. Olsen almost got into the end zone when a 10-yard catch and run fell just short of the goal line. In the second half, Newton showed the trust he has in Olsen when he threw a pass down the seam between defenders to his tight end. Olsen duly obliged with a catch, even though the pass from Newton was a little high.