5 Panthers who boosted their stock during Patriots joint practices
By Dean Jones
Christian McCaffrey – Carolina Panthers RB
It’s hard to figure out how Christian McCaffrey could heighten his stock after all the running back has accomplished. But a starring performance throughout the joint practices left more than enough reasons to suggest a potential bounce-back campaign is in the offing.
McCaffrey’s dealt with some troubling injuries over the last two seasons, restricting him to 10 appearances. Although he looks fit and ready to rock once again, the Carolina Panthers should still err on the side of caution where their best offensive weapon is concerned.
The former first-round pick already looks to be in midseason form. His sharpness in carrying the football and getting out of his routes was nothing short of exceptional, which was matched by elite blocking that’s always been an underrated area of his game.
This is extremely positive news for McCaffrey and the Panthers. The All-Pro is unlikely to feature in the preseason, but all signs point to the player becoming the focal point on offense with such an outstanding skill set.
Just how the Panthers utilize McCaffrey remains the big question.
There is the obvious temptation to keep things as they are despite the wear and tear beginning to show. But offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo must be smart with his usage given how things capitulated without the league’s best dual-threat weapon last season.