5 most important Carolina Panthers offseason arrivals in 2022

D’Onta Foreman – Carolina Panthers RB

Things went downhill rapidly for the Carolina Panthers when Christian McCaffrey went down with another injury at the Houston Texans in Week 3. This saw Sam Darnold regress into his old disastrous ways and Joe Brady failing to find the right contingency plan to cope without the All-Pro.

This has to change.

And quickly.

McCaffrey has gone from being an iron man to a player with suspect dependability in just two seasons. A far cry from what the Panthers anticipated when they gave the former first-round pick a four-year, $64 million deal with $38 million guaranteed.

That’s why the signing of D’Onta Foreman in free agency was an outstanding bit of business. The former Texas standout came off the couch to fill in well for Derrick Henry on the Tennessee Titans in 2021, which played a significant role in the team attaining the AFC’s No. 1 seed before falling to an early playoff exit.

If Foreman can become a driving force in short-yardage situations and in between the tackles, then this will likely be enough to keep McCaffrey out of the firing line and hopefully on the field more consistently.

This signing has the scope to change everything for McCaffrey, who will be the focal point despite the clear concerns about his health. Foreman’s presence will help enormously, so it’s just a case of integrating the running back quickly and making the most out of his useful skillset.