The Panthers’ offense was heavily dependent on the rushing and receiving threat of No. 1 running back Christian McCaffrey for the majority of the 2018 season. Carolina brought C.J. Anderson into the fold via free agency to pair with McCaffrey in an attempt to recreate the smash and dash style of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, but after nine games of barely using the veteran’s services the Panthers released him and continued to use McCaffrey as the lone back in their ground game. There were a few other guys in the mix throughout the season, but for the most part the Panthers’ rushing attack was all Run CMC.
Christian McCaffrey
McCaffrey rushed 219 times for 1098 yards in 2018 with seven touchdowns. He also grabbed 107 receptions for another 867 yards and six more touchdowns. Combined, that’s 326 touches for 1965 yards and 13 touchdowns. Every time McCaffrey touched the football, he averaged six yards (five yards per carry and 8.1 yards per reception). With numbers like that it’s no surprise the Panthers want to feature him as a key cog in the offense.
The only question will be his long-term durability, as he was on the field for nearly every single play from scrimmage last year. To protect him in the future and to get as many years of production out of him as possible, the Panthers should consider pairing him with another running back to help shoulder some of the burden.
Speaking of that...
C.J. Anderson
Anderson was supposed to be that guy. The Panthers brought him in on a one-year deal in free agency to spell McCaffrey and be the ‘bruiser back’ on the goal line. Unfortunately for Anderson, it didn’t work out that way and he was released in Week 10 of the season after producing a measly 104 yards on 24 carries.
It wasn’t all bad for Anderson, though. He did get picked up by the Rams and became a key factor in their Super Bowl run... so I guess there’s a silver lining for him after all.
Cameron Artis-Payne
The Panthers have been getting a good look at Cameron Artis-Payne for what seems like a decade now. In 2018 he saw some action later in the season after Anderson was released, and he rushed 19 times for 69 yards (nice!) and one touchdown. Artis-Payne will be an unrestricted free agent in March, and it’s unlikely the Panthers will bring him back when they can just pick up a running back on Day 3 of the draft or pick up a cheaper free agent option like Elijah Hood, who is an exclusive rights free agent.
It’s been a weird ride for Artis-Payne in Carolina, and honestly I’m kinda sad that we didn’t get to see more of him while he was here. I think he potentially has a future in the league, but at 28 years old with limited tape for other teams to see, his ship may have already sailed.
Fozzy Whittaker, Kenjon Barner and Travaris Cadet
Fozzy Whittaker went on injured reserve with a torn ACL during OTAs so he never really had the chance to do anything in 2018. He will also be a free agent in March, so it’s safe to assume that his time in Carolina is over.
The Panthers also brought in Kenjon Barner and Travaris Cadet in 2018 but neither one contributed much. Barner was strictly used on special teams and Cadet only carried the ball 11 times for 17 yards. Both will be free agents in a month and neither will likely return to Carolina in 2019 when there will probably be better options available for the Panthers.
What’s next?
The Panthers will only have one running back on the roster when the league year starts so they’re going to have to do some shopping. While Christian McCaffrey will handle the bulk of the workload, they still need some depth at the position. Reggie Bonnafon is currently on the practice squad, so they could see him as an option for the 53-man roster in 2019. Otherwise, it will be interesting to see how they address their need for running back depth in the coming months.
The Panthers will probably scour the lower tier of the free agent market to get someone to be the No. 2 running back, or they could potentially toss a fifth or sixth round pick at someone in the draft if they don’t find any free agents they like. No matter what happens, 2019 should be more of the same for the Panthers—it’s Run CMC’s world, and we’re all just living in it.
Oh, and before you ask, we didn’t forget about Alex Armah. Stay tuned as we will cover the Panthers’ fullback in more detail later today.