Kenjon Barner a welcome addition as Panthers add running back depth
The Panthers welcomed back Barner on Wednesday.
An old friend is back as a member of the Carolina Panthers Wednesday, the team claimed running back Kenjon Barner off waivers. As a corresponding move, they waived cornerback Josh Hawkins.
Barner most recently spent time with the New England Patriots. In five games, he rushed the ball 19 times for 71 yards. The Carolina Panthers signed him this past May, after he put together a successful season with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017. He played in 13 games, rushing the ball 16 times for 57 yards. He started in one contest.
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This is an interesting move on the part of the Panthers. When they released him, they had enough depth at the running back position. Now, with the waving of C. J. Anderson, they are looking to rebuild that depth. Barner can double as both a kick returner and running back, which gives the Panthers some flexibility to be able to plug him in certain situations as they see fit. Furthermore, he is an experienced veteran who knows what it takes to win. That certainly help the Panthers come playoff time as they look to emerge from the talented NFC.
I don’t expect to Barner to put up big-time numbers. I do think that he will be able to contribute. Much like Travaris Cadet, he can at least give Christian McCaffrey some rest when needed. He is not the fastest runner, but he is a physical running back. Once he puts his head down, he has the ability to run over defenders. In addition, he can catch the ball pretty well. With New England, he was a decent complimentary back out of the backfield. Particularly in the red zone, he was able to gain an extra 3-4 yards to put the Patriots in good position to find paydirt. He does not have tremendous speed by any means, but his ability to fight for extra yards is a bonus.
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It will be interesting to see what he can do for the Panthers. Between the two running backs, they should be able to provide enough support for Christian McCaffrey. Especially in the case of Barner, his multitude of skills should make him an effective player for the Panthers, particularly after playing decently in New England. That’s all the Panthers need at the position. If they are able to make these supplemental pieces work, they should be able to form a very deep backfield. As the grind of the season wears on, that could be very important moving forward.