Will Martez Ivey Be Enough For The Panthers?

There are many questions surrounding offensive lineman Martez Ivey following the Carolina Panthers opting to bring him back to the NFL. Back in April, ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke the news of the former Florida Gators player signing a one-year contract with the Panthers in the wake of participation in the team’s pro day.

Adam Schefter

Ivey played for the Gators from 2015-18 and - along with Jawaan Taylor, who now plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars - was one of the bookends for the offensive line. He was touted as the No.1 offensive tackle in his class coming out of high school and would earn second-team All-SEC honors twice during college, in 2017 and 2018, also getting on the Freshman All-SEC team in 2015.

He played both tackle and guard during a four-year stint with the Gators, starting in 44 games and all of the last 13 in his final season with the team. His career was somewhat inconsistent and he went undrafted in 2019, but he signed with the New England Patriots sometime after the draft.

The team eventually released him as a part of the final roster cuts before he headed to the XFL. The league, now defunct, went bankrupt during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and has since been bought by former WWE superstar and Hollywood actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and his ex-wife Dani Garcia. It should be revamped at some point next year.

Ivey, though, is back in the league after a full year, having impressed at the pro day. A number of current and former Gators players participated with the aim of getting in front of scouts. Gators coach Dan Mullen was asked about the school allowing former players to participate in the pro day.

Dan Mullen

"Yeah, it's great. You want guys to have opportunities to go live their dreams," the coach said.

"Some teams will call and usually I don't want to slow the process down for everybody. But we have some teams call and say, 'Hey, can this guy come get a workout in and workout for us?' And we're like 'absolutely' to have them come back here.

A lot of times they haven't played in a little bit or they've been out of the mix. So it's an opportunity to see them and what they can do and that they can still play."

Ivey has earned himself another shot at getting into the NFL but whether or not he makes the final roster remains to be seen. As for the Panthers, they’re 50/1 for Super Bowl glory next season and fans looking to place bets on NFL futures could check out this Twinspires review.

So just how might Ivey fare in Carolina? His prospects don’t seem that great, admittedly. He’s competing with Trent Scott, Greg Little and Cameron Erving for a roster spot but he could be a candidate for the practice squad should things not work out on that front.

“Martez Ivey is a frustrating study, given his physical skills and the subsequent lack of development,” one analyst wrote of Ivey’s ahead of the 2019 draft. “Ivey has top tier length and promising mobility, but he labors in space and as a pass protector due to poor movement economy and ineffective technique at the point of attack. Ivey will warrant consideration as a toolsy player, he does provide upside in the perfect circumstances, but his lack of development to this point is concerning. Nothing higher than a late-round selection.”

As it turns out, Ivey wasn’t even drafted.

Another wrote, “Ivey came to Florida a highly regarded five-star recruit but never lived up to his billing. While he did start for nearly four seasons, his production and inconsistent technique are disappointing. In order for Ivey to stick at the next level, a technical overhaul is required in addition to adding strength throughout his frame. Blessed with over 36-inch arms, Ivey hasn’t learned to use that length to his advantage which would be a good start in his evolution as a player. Ivey is a major project with numerous flaws to overcome.”

“A five-star prospect with a massive frame and decent movement skills for his size, Ivey simply hasn't developed much at all during his time at Florida,” yet another analyst wrote on Ivey’s NFL prospects. “His footwork in pass protection is poor and leaves him susceptible to losing inside or outside against edge rushers, and his hands are almost as bad. Ivey does a poor job of timing and landing his strikes, allowing himself to be push-pulled by power players, beaten with speed and bend by more athletic rushers or countered across his face due to his inability to impede the rush plan of more nuanced opponents.

He's solid in the run game, but unless the NFL can figure out a spot that works for him in pass pro, Ivey's best case scenario is landing a backup spot as a heavy package extra blocker for teams that still run archaic offenses.”

Of course, time will tell, as it always does. But it would be quite a surprise to see Ivey making a positive impact at Carolina - that is if he even makes the roster.