Former Chiefs tight end Gavin Escobar works out for Panthers

The Carolina Panthers hosted a few free agent tight ends on Wednesday, including former Chief Gavin Escobar, with word that Greg Olson would miss significant time.

Gavin Escobar’s search for meaningful work continues heading into Week 3 of the NFL’s regular season after spending the entirety of the offseason with the Kansas City Chiefs. The free agent tight end’s latest stop is with the Carolina Panthers, who held a tryout for several free agents including Kellen Davis and Jace Amaro.

Losing Olsen is a significant blow for the Panthers, akin to the Chiefs losing Travis Kelce, given the tremendous reliability and production over the last few years. Escobar has the hands to make a difference in a team’s passing game, but he couldn’t carve out a spot on the Chiefs even as a No. 3 tight end, likely due to his poor blocking ability combined with the investment the Chiefs had already made on Ross Travis as a developmental player who they clearly want to see more from.

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However, the very idea that Escobar cannot find long-term work comes as a surprise to several Chiefs fans who believed that then-general manager John Drosey might have found a hidden gem in the former Dallas Cowboys player. Dallas selected Escobar in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft and that sort of strong investment usually raises hopes for the new team acquiring a player. Look no further than fan hopes for offensive lineman Cam Erving or linebacker Reggie Ragland for further proof.

Escobar has 30 career receptions in 62 career games, all with the Dallas Cowboys.