4 burning questions for Carolina Panthers offense after 2022 camp
By Noah Bryce
How will the Carolina Panthers use D’Onta Foreman?
After another lost season in 2021, the Carolina Panthers have to be careful with Christian McCaffrey or risk losing the All-Pro for more than just a season. A big part of this is limiting the amount of punishment the stud running back takes, which brings D’Onta Foreman‘s potential influence under the microscope.
Foreman is a highly productive running back in his own right and could possibly compete for the starting job on most teams after the player’s performance filling in for the injured Derrick Henry on the Tennessee Titans last season.
However, the Panthers have had second options before and failed to utilize them in the correct manner to protect McCaffrey. How the team goes about using Foreman during the preseason and when the regular season begins will show whether or not they have learned from the past or are doomed to repeat the same mistakes.
Look for the situations Foreman is brought into, whether or not McCaffrey is on the field for every third down or vital play, if the team switches backs in the middle of drives or leaves them in until a change of possession, and perhaps most importantly, do the Panthers lean on the star running back when things go south or do they trust the others to contribute.
These will all show just how confident the team is in winning without the former first-round pick on the field for more than 90 percent of snaps. If the Panthers can bring about another two-headed monster with McCaffrey and Foreman, then the NFL will have a new dynamic duo to worry about in 2022.