Panthers: Younger, dynamic running back a team priority
The Carolina Panthers have made it clear they want to get younger at the running back position.
The Carolina Panthers released Jonathan Stewart Wednesday in a move that was seen as an effort to get younger at the position. Head coach Ron Rivera has a plan to replace Stewart, and it does not appear as though the new running back will be a veteran name. Rivera met with the media Wednesday at the NFL Combine and gave insight into the Panthers’ plans for the future.
"Rivera said replacing veteran power back Jonathan Stewart, who was released Wednesday, with an identical back isn’t so much a priority as getting a dynamic back who can run inside and outside. Rivera also mentioned new offensive coordinator Norv Turner’s success with NFL Hall of Famer LaDanian Tomlinson."
This is interesting to me on a few levels. For one, it addresses a problem that Christian McCaffrey has. He can run outside no problem, but running in the trenches is something that he struggled with in his first year. Whether or not the Panthers’ acquire their desired back through free agency or the draft remains to be seen.
My guess is that they would probably look towards the draft. Especially if Rivera is making these comments at the Combine, chances are they will be taking a look at what options are available.
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The last thing they need at the moment is a running back with a ton of miles on him. That is probably what they would get in free agency should they choose to go that route. They had a running back like that in Stewart and released him. It seems like they want to get younger as a team and the running back position would be the perfect place to continue that vision.
The “LaDanian Tomlinson” piece of the quote should get fans excited too. Will Norv Turner turn the Panthers’ backs into LT? My guess is no as that would be pretty hard to do. What that quote does mean is that he is good with dynamic backs. Should the Carolina Panthers get a dynamic back, the back will be in good hands.
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It is interesting to continue watching the vision of the organization unfold. To me it appears they hired Norv Turner with a vision offensively. They are molding the team to their coaching personnel and they should be applauded for it. That is very hard to do.