Carolina Panthers camp: Predicting winners from 5 key position battles
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers Position No. 4: RB 2 and 3
Another area of the offense that has a real battle going on is at running back. Four players are fighting for the No. 2 spot behind All-Pro Christian McCaffrey. And whoever wins the role might be in line for more carries than expected in 2020.
McCaffrey will continue to be the focal point of the Carolina Panthers’ offense. But giving him more than 400 combined touches once again is something that might do more harm than good down the line.
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Offensive coordinator Joe Brady is sure to spread the wealth a little more than at any stage in 2019. And the primary backup running back might see an increased role to keep McCaffrey as fresh as possible.
Reggie Bonnafon appears to be the prime candidate after catching the eye with a 7.3 yards-per-carry average from limited touches last season. This represented a nice return from his first year of any action at the professional level. And more might be still to come.
A relatively unknown quantity is Jordan Scarlett. The back was used sparingly as a rookie. And not having a preseason to showcase his skills could be detrimental to his overall fortunes.
Mike Davis is a veteran that has more experience than other candidates. But there is the financial aspect to consider regarding the player, who is set to count $3 million against Carolina’s cap and won’t come with any dead cap money if he is released.
One player that might also have a shot is Trenton Cannon. The former New York Jet was picked up off waivers recently. And his dual-threat ability is something that could propel him up the depth chart providing he has rid himself of recent injury problems.