Panthers: Cameron Artis-Payne might be on the outside looking in
The Carolina Panthers have a bunch of running backs. This makes life difficult for some…
Sometimes, life heads in unexpected directions. For Carolina Panthers running back Cameron Artis-Payne, his National Football League career may have changed as we know it this offseason.
At the beginning of the offseason, CAP looked like he was in pretty good shape. With the team thin at the position, he appeared to be in a prime position to make a sizable impact on the field.
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However, that all changed on May 7 when C.J. Anderson signed a one-year deal with the team. Although the Carolina Panthers added much-needed depth at the position, it created a logjam. Think about it for a second: Guys like Artis-Payne who do not have quite as impressive a resume as a veteran like Anderson get bumped down a few notches. All of a sudden, the workload for a player like Artis-Payne gets significantly reduced.
Filling in for Bill Voth in this week‘s Grill Bill segment, Bryan Strickland touched on this a bit. One of the questions asked by a reader was what Artis-Payne’s role would be with the acquisition of Anderson.
"Every August, head coach Ron Rivera has touted Artis-Payne’s ability and has said he could have an expanded role come the regular season. It never happened with Stewart in the backfield, and Artis-Payne totally understood it.It might well play out the same with Anderson now in the backfield, but I would think the coaching staff would be quicker to give Artis-Payne a chance if Anderson bogs down versus when an all-time franchise great in Stewart struggled. If the running game is clicking, fans won’t worry (OK, maybe some fantasy players will) about who’s doing the damage. If it’s clicking behind Anderson and Christian McCaffrey, it would be good to know that Artis-Payne is again waiting in the wings if needed."
If you are a CAP fan, this may be discouraging news. However, as Strickland noted, Artis-Payne will be waiting in the wings when his time is called upon. Anderson did go through a bit of a lull at certain points last season. If that happens again, I would be willing to give Artis-Payne a shot. He’s paid his dues. He’s not the most explosive player and the chances of him making the front of a magazine cover are slim. However, should something catastrophic happen to the running back corps, Artis-Payne is a solid No. 3 running back.
He is currently No. 2 on the most recent depth chart per OurLads.com. That position may change once preseason camp starts.
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Artis-Payne just needs to get a chance. With the depth at the position for the Carolina Panthers, chances may be few and far between in 2018.