Panthers: Cameron Artis-Payne in line for big 2018

For Cameron Artis-Payne, 2018 may be the year he finally breaks out for the Carolina Panthers.

The Carolina Panthers need depth at the running back position. The good news is that the depth could be available sooner than expected. Cameron Artis-Payne is in line for a productive year, and barring any major injuries, he should play an impactful role in the Panther offense.

Friday, Bill Voth of Panthers.com conducted his “Grill Bill” question and answer session. One of the question posed was if Artis-Payne would get a shot to be a part of the offense.

"If the Panthers were on the field today, Christian McCaffrey would be the No. 1 back. Obviously, he’ll never be tied to the backfield, so if McCaffrey motioned out or lined up in the slot – or if it’s a power situation – Artis-Payne would be next in line for a potential handoff."

At first glance, this may not sound like much. However, there are a couple things to consider here. McCaffrey made his mark in 2017 out of the backfield as a receiving-type running back. There would be no reason why the Panthers would not continue to use him in that way within the offense.

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For Artis-Payne, this is good news as he will be able to be the other running back on the field. Especially with Jonathan Stewart gone, there should be more opportunities for him to see playing time.

If that is the case, this would be the first time Carolina Panthers fans have seen Artis-Payne in extensive action. In 2017, he appeared in 13 games, rushing the ball 18 times for 95 yards and a touchdown. His best game came on November 13 against the Miami Dolphins. In that contest, he rushed the ball seven times for 68 yards and a touchdown.

For his career, he has rushed the ball 99 times for 423 yards and four touchdowns. Obviously, his numbers are not going to put him in the Hall of Fame, but he certainly has a chance to improve those numbers this upcoming season.

Next: Panthers offseason workout dates announced

Cameron Artis-Payne has a tremendous opportunity to make an impact in 2018. Now, it is up to him to take full advantage of it.