Carolina Panthers: 3 players who could make All-Pro in 2020
By Dean Jones
CHRISTIANMCCAFFREY. player. Scouting Report. STANFORD. 3. 87. Pick Analysis. RB
Carolina Panthers All-Pro candidate: Christian McCaffrey (RB)
Let’s start with the only member of the Carolina Panthers that secured a first-team All-Pro selection in 2019. Running back Christian McCaffrey is the undisputed face of the franchise following the departure of iconic quarterback Cam Newton. And he has the potential to get even better next season.
The former first-round pick out of Stanford became only the third player in NFL history to achieve 1,000-yards rushing and receiving in the same season. It’s hard to imagine what the Panthers’ record would have been without McCaffrey. But thankfully, this is not something they will have to worry about going forward.
The Panthers have McCaffrey a four-year, $64 million contract extension this offseason that included a $21 million signing bonus and just over $38 million guaranteed. This bucked the trend across the league regarding paying running backs who are looking for new deals that were drafted the same year.
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This could have resulted in a possible holdout from McCaffrey, which would have been nothing short of a disaster. Instead, they tied up the NFL’s best dual-threat down for his prime years.
There is every chance McCaffrey can emulate his 2019 success this time around. It would be foolish for the Panthers to give the player more than 400 touches again. But he can still make the most of Joe Brady’s new and expansive offense that should create more holes to work in.
Much will depend on how the Panthers’ offensive line holds up. But if they can perform well, then McCaffrey’s ceiling is once again extremely high.