Carolina Panthers Position by Position Breakdown: RB
Day one of Panthers training camp is in the books! Let’s dive into the running back position.
Run CMC is the Starter
CHARLOTTE, NC – SEPTEMBER 09: Christian McCaffrey #22 of the Carolina Panthers runs the ball against the Dallas Cowboys in the second quarter during their game at Bank of America Stadium on September 9, 2018, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Fortunately for Panther fans, Run CMC looks as strong as ever coming into training camp. That’s not good news for the other 31 teams in the league, though. McCaffery is a swiss army knife in this Panthers offense and he was unstoppable last season, it didn’t matter where he lined up. Racking up 1,965 yds on 326 touches.
I would love to see the Panther utilize more backs this year. McCaffery was used an absurd amount last year (100% of offensive snaps for 8 out of 16 games, 91% for the entire season). Granted, we haven’t seen much out of Cameron Artis-Payne. The little we have seen of him has been a mixed bag.
Let’s take a look at who will be jockeying for the backup spot behind CMC.
Cameron Artis-Payne
At age 29, CAP is no spring chicken but the age is misleading to an extent. Cap wasn’t even in college football at age 20 and didn’t make it to Auburn until he was almost 23. During his time with the Panthers, he has racked up 491 yds on 118 carries (4.2 yds per carrying). Honestly, it looks pretty good on the surface. Which is why I believe this is Artis-Payne’s job to lose.
Jordan Scarlett
This rookie is a downhill runner. Similar to J-Stew, he will pop you in the mouth and on tape, it almost seems like he looks for contact. The Panthers used their 5th round draft pick on Scarlett, meaning they believe he can contribute and even challenge Artis-Payne for the backup role.
Elijah Holyfield
Does this name ring a bell? That’s because he’s the son of former heavyweight boxing champion, Evander Holyfield. How the Panthers were lucky enough to snag Holyfield after going undrafted, is a miracle. He can do a little bit of everything but like Scarlett, he is a very physical runner. As a junior, he started 9 of 14 games while rushing 159 times for 1,018 yds (6.4 yds per carrying) and seven scores. Look for Holyfield, Scarlett, and Artis-Payne to all be in the mix at the backup position.
Projected Depth Chart
RB1- Christian McCaffery
RB2- Jordan Scarlett
RB3-Elijah Holyfield
Artis-Payne is the odd man out here. I think the age and lack of production in his 4 years in Carolina will force the Panthers to go with a full-on youth movement.
Check out the QB position breakdown here: https://foxsportsradiocharlotte.com/2019/07/25/carolina-panthers-position-by-position-breakdown-qb/
Tune in Monday as I breakdown the Wide Reciever Position!
@BernieBowles91
