Carolina Panthers add project running back Elijah Holyfield
The Carolina Panthers added another running back.
The Carolina Panthers are continuing to sign names in the undrafted free agent market. Sunday, they added another running back to what is going to be a very crowded stable. Former Georgia running back Elijah Holyfield, son of boxing great Evander Holyfield, is now a Carolina Panther. The signing was first reported by Ian Rappaport of NFL Network.
It would be an understatement to say that Holyfield had a rough combine. He ran a 4.78 40-yard dash time, which as a running back is not ideal. However, he has tremendous athletic ability. Particularly in his junior year of 2017, his full skill set was on display. He ran for 1,018 yards and seven touchdowns. Certainly, those are impressive statistics.
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The Carolina Panthers have nothing to lose with the signing. It appears they have made a priority to surround Christian McCaffrey with additional depth. By selecting Jordan Scarlett and now adding Holyfield to the mix, they certainly have many running backs at their disposal. Let’s not forget about Fozzy Whitaker and Cameron Artis-Payne either. Although it may seem like a crowded running back room, that is a good thing. Last year, due to injuries among other things, the running back position was particularly thin. That should not be the case this season.
Let’s face it, Holyfield is a project running back. He has tremendous upside for sure, but he also has some glaring weaknesses. According to his profile on NFL.com, one of his biggest flaws is that he doesn’t have a lot of patience when he runs. As a running back, he definitely needs to have patience and allow time for holes to open up. As the profile notes, he tries to “bull through the interior crease.” That is certainly something he can fix, and it will be something for him to work on during training camp.
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Despite the fact that Holyfield is a project, he has the chance to complement Christian McCaffrey very well. It’ll be interesting to see what he does during training camp, and if he even makes the roster. By being an undrafted free agent, the odds are already against him. However, he adds a level of intrigue to the running back group, and he certainly has the potential to give the Carolina Panthers a boost. Holyfield just needs to make sure he makes the most of his opportunities during training camp. He is a name I will certainly be keeping an eye on.