3 Carolina Panthers who must build on promising starts at 2024 camp
By Dean Jones
Chuba Hubbard - Carolina Panthers RB
Dave Canales set out his offensive philosophy soon after taking the head coaching job. He wants the Carolina Panthers to run the football heavily. He wants their ground game to open things up for quarterback Bryce Young. He wants physicality from the offensive line and every member of the roster to be fundamentally sound.
That should be music to the ears of Carolina's playing personnel. Dan Morgan also strategized his recruitment around this objective throughout a busy offseason for the franchise. The protection received a much-needed boost, the skill positions got upgraded, and the Panthers also got a promising young running back when they traded up for Jonathon Brooks at No. 46 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
This shows that no position group will be overlooked in pursuit of progression. Competition is increasing across the board. Players will either sink or swim during Carolina's road to future prosperity. Morgan will weed out the weak and move forward with those he believes can fit into the Panthers' culture restoration.
Chuba Hubbard's impressive start to early workouts indicates he's responding well to raised standards. The former fourth-round selection made some encouraging progress over the last two seasons. He's cemented as the No. 1 running back right now. He'll be striving to make sure that remains the case when Brooks is 100 percent following a torn ACL.
Hubbard received praise from Canales for his production and emerging leadership. This is all positive for the Oklahoma State product, but he cannot rest on his laurels and become complacent with others chomping at the bit to accumulate their fair share of carries.
This won't be a problem for Hubbard. He's risen from adversity following an indifferent rookie campaign to become a featured presence on offense. If the presence of Brooks and others wasn't enough to add motivation, this is also a contract year for the player.
If Hubbard stays on track over Carolina's training camp and thrives during the regular season, a new long-term deal won't be too far behind. Whether that's with the Panthers or elsewhere is another matter.