Panthers No. 40: How important will Alex Armah become in 2020?

The full-back position is a dying art in the NFL’s pass-happy world, but just how important can Alex Armah become for the Carolina Panthers in 2020?

The Carolina Panthers are now just 40 days away from their expected return to competitive action. There is plenty of uncertainty surrounding the upcoming campaign thanks to the current climate. But the NFL is determined to get things started on time despite these obvious concerns.

This has the potential to be one of the more intriguing seasons in recent memory for the Carolina Panthers. Substantial changes have been made across the board. And although things will not be easy for new head coach Matt Rhule during his first year at the helm. The roster is full of exciting players who can make a real difference in 2020.

Whether this will be enough to enable this young and relatively inexperienced group to secure an immediate turnaround in fortunes is up for debate. Carolina took part in their first training camp drills on Monday. But having no preseason games to develop chemistry has the scope to impact them more than most.

What the Panthers do have going for them is an offense that is sure to put some significant points on the board in Joe Brady’s scheme. Their defense does have some questions that need to be answered as the season goes on. But their exceptional offensive weapons should keep them competitive, at the very least.

Continuing our countdown feature ahead of the new season, we now turn our attention to Carolina’s No. 40. Alex Armah plays at a position that has been increasingly redundant across the league in recent seasons. But there is nothing to suggest he cannot play a big part for the Panthers in 2020.

How important is Alex Armah’s role for the Carolina Panthers in 2020?

The full-back has been a steady influence since arriving with the organization. And one expects to see a higher level of performance from Armah next time around during the final year of his rookie deal.

Armah has been used sparingly so far. Whatever carries he has accumulated have been in short-yardage situations. But his blocking has been creditable and paved the way on occasions for All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey to do some real damage.

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Just how much Armah will see the field under the new regime is up for debate. The full-back position is becoming more obsolete with every passing year. But the Panthers have some serious concerns surrounding their offensive line and their ability to protect consistently next season.

This might present an opportunity for Armah to be involved more from a protection perspective as the bulldozer for McCaffrey to do what he does best. But much will depend on whether the line holds up in the face of what is expected to be some heavy pressure.

Teams with a more pass-happy attack may choose to allocate their full-back spot to another more prominent weapon. But given how much the Panthers lean on McCaffrey to deliver the goods. Armah’s place on the roster should be secure in 2020 despite playing just 12.1 percent of the Panthers’ offensive snaps last season.

Only time will tell as to whether his stay in Carolina will last longer than the upcoming campaign. He will make $825,000 in base salary in 2020. And how important he becomes to Carolina in the coming months will ultimately determine his long-term aspirations with the franchise.