Travaris Cadet a much-needed depth piece for Panthers

The Panthers addressed their lack of depth rather quickly.

Earlier in the day Monday, I said that following the Panthers waving of C. J. Anderson, the team needed to find some depth. They did so less than an hour after releasing Anderson, signing running back Travaris Cadet to a one-year contract.

Cadet has bounced all over the league, playing for the New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets, and Buffalo Bills. He is a versatile running back who can do a multitude of things. An ankle injury ended his season in the final game of the 2017 campaign. After securing a one-year contract from the Bills, he was released during the preseason as the team had to make moves for the 53-man roster. Now, he looks to start fresh for a team that is certainly poised to go deep into the postseason.

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For his career, Cadet has rushed the ball 49 times for 180 yards. He’s been much more effective as a receiving back, recording 118 receptions for 959 yards and seven touchdowns. He has also been an effective special-teams player, returning 63 kickoffs for 1,531 yards. Those are not exactly eye-popping numbers, but at the very least he is a serviceable back. Especially with the way he can catch the ball, he may be a great fit in this offense.

Living in the New England area, I saw a lot of him during his time with the New England Patriots. He excelled the most when he was catching the football, finding open lanes as soon as the ball was thrown. With the way that the Panthers use their running backs, he could be a productive player right away. Obviously, Christian McCaffrey is going to get the bulk of the work as expected. However, between what he can do on special-teams and what he can do both rushing and receiving the football, I would expect Cadet to get a lot of snaps.

He is the type of player that can set you up for a drive. He is not going to break off any big runs, but he can get you a 3-4-yard carry on first down. Most likely, he will be in the game to give McCaffrey a breather. Although that may sound like a non-important role, being able to put in a player who can be productive while giving your star player rest is crucial. Especially in the postseason, McCaffrey is going to be needed in the stretch-run of games.

He is not going to major numbers but he is a solid depth piece for a Panthers team that needs one. I think he will have more of an impact than Anderson had and be able to contribute to the offense. For a in-season acquisition, he shows a lot of promise. That is about all you can ask for.