4 Carolina Panthers with plummeting stock after 2024 offseason workouts
By Dean Jones
Miles Sanders - Carolina Panthers RB
Miles Sanders needs a strong offseason. The veteran running back failed to meet expectations after the Carolina Panthers shelled out a decent contract to secure his services in free agency. They weren't going to sit around and wait on the off chance he turned things around.
Dave Canales wants to run the football heavily. He's got the personnel to make this happen, which was strengthened by selecting Jonathon Brooks at No. 46 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft and signing Rashaad Penny in free agency. This raises the stakes for Sanders in pursuit of maintaining his depth chart status.
Sanders seems eager to silence his doubters and return to the form that saw him earn Pro Bowl honors in 2022. Unfortunately for the Penn State product, another frustrating injury kept him out of some practices, stunting whatever momentum he managed to generate.
This is a small blow - one that Sanders can recover from relatively quickly with a strong showing at Carolina's training camp. However, it does nothing to inspire confidence that the former second-round selection can stay healthy and keep those breathing down his neck from taking over reps at some stage.
Brooks' arrival represents the biggest threat. Canales praised Chuba Hubbard's work ethic and emerging leadership over early workouts. If the Texas product imposes himself immediately once medically cleared to return from a torn ACL, Sanders will be demoted to the No. 3 option without hesitation.
Sanders knows what comes next if performance levels aren't up to the required standard. He survived Dan Morgan's initial roster cull despite many analysts believing he'd be released. If this faith isn't repaid and others on the running back depth chart thrive, it might be a different story when the time for final cuts arrives.
That's the worst-case scenario for Sanders. Although it was a stuttering opening to early workouts, hopes remain high improved blocking concepts and a more expansive rushing scheme can get the player back on track.