5 Panthers players winning their position battles after camp Week 2
By Dean Jones
D’Onta Foreman – Carolina Panthers RB
Getting additional help for Christian McCaffrey was important for the Carolina Panthers this offseason. Although the All-Pro looks in supreme form throughout camp, putting too much on his shoulders could bring further injury problems and completely derail the team’s plans to make more noise next time around.
Chuba Hubbard’s indifferent production as a rookie led the Panthers to sign D’Onta Foreman from the Tennessee Titans in free agency. The powerful running back performed well filling in for Derrick Henry last season and his eye-catching explosiveness at Wofford College indicates he’ll be the team’s primary backup to McCaffrey in 2022.
Foreman’s physical style has gone down well so far. There was one fumble thanks to a Donte Jackson peanut punch, but it’s been positive more often than not apart from that.
What’s important for Foreman is understanding his role and being ready to come in at the drop of a hat. Not only will this take some heat off McCaffrey, but it could also allow the Panthers to get creative with both on the field at the same time.
It might be worth the Panthers giving Foreman plenty of preseason work to further acclimatize himself to the system. McCaffrey won’t be suiting up, one suspects, so the Texas product can separate himself further from Hubbard before the final decision is made.