Panthers news: Dave Canales, Austin Ekeler, Christian McCaffrey and Ejiro Evero
By Dean Jones
Which Carolina Panthers news stories are hitting the headlines as speculation continues about the organization's offseason plans under Dave Canales?
Super Bowl week is well underway. The Carolina Panthers are a long way off from reaching this peak, although some former players and coaches are within touching distance of a ring. This is all about sustained growth - something that Dave Canales and Dan Morgan are striving to achieve as part of their newfound vision for the franchise.
As we wait for further developments, the stories accumulating column inches include Christian McCaffrey's comparison, Dave Canales' infectious energy leaving a big impression, the Panthers being linked with Austin Ekeler, and Carolina getting a big shot in the arm thanks to Ejiro Evero's status.
Let's delve into each topic in more detail.
Christian McCaffrey's comparison
Much has been made about Cam Newton's comments about game changers and game managers at the quarterback position. The 2015 NFL MVP is more than qualified to critique after everything he accomplished. But there's no doubt it rubbed people up the wrong way.
Newton doubled down on his stance despite Brock Purdy reaching the Super Bowl. When asked about any comparisons between his current quarterback and his old one, former Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey took a tongue-in-cheek approach to his answer based on comments via USA Today Sports.
"Yeah, Brock and Cam—they look alike, they play alike and I think there’s a lot of different similarities. I think both of them have that underdog mentality at all times and both of them carry a big chip on their shoulder. Both great leaders . . . and winners."
- Christian McCaffrey via USA Today Sports
This was a diplomatic answer from McCaffrey. From his standpoint, this mini-controversy is a distraction that takes away from the primary objective at hand. That's winning a Super Bowl in his first full season with the San Francisco 49ers.