Carolina Panthers: Key things to watch against the Chicago Bears

How the depth at running back plays out

The depth at running back is the top thing I’m going to be watching for on Thursday. We obviously know the starter is Christian McCaffrey. Now, we are going to find out what kind of depth the Panthers have behind him.

As of the recently released depth chart, Cameron Artis-Payne is the second running back in the fold. Reggie Bonnafon Jordan Scarlett, and Elijah Holyfield make up the third-string, fourth-string, and fifth-string running backs. Those are the guys that are going to need to put together a solid showing throughout the entirety of the preseason. I am interested to see what they can do on Thursday.

Perhaps the most intriguing name on that list for me is Reggie Bonnafon  As some of you may recall, I profiled him last year following his signing to Carolina. He is an athletic player who has speed. He is a very good overall athlete, and he will certainly have his work cut out for him at running back.

The backup running back battle is wide open as I see it. All four backups will be able to show off their skills over the course of the preseason. Elijah Holyfield is certainly at a disadvantage in being at the fifth spot, but his work ethic so far over the course of training camp has reportedly been very good. I could see his stock rise over the next couple of weeks .