After a 15-1 season and a trip to the Super Bowl, the Carolina Panthers had lofty expectations going in to the 2016 season. Even with the departure of defensive back Josh Norman, the season looked promising.
The team suffered through a 6-10 season that had everyone scratching their heads. Of course the inevitable question posed to Coach Ron Rivera was: “How are you going to fix it?”
At the Combine last March, Rivera reiterated that one major change to the offensive gameplay would be to not “overexpose” athletic quarterback Cam Newton.
The Panthers’ first two draft picks offer two versatile running backs that will take the load off Newton and allow the Panthers to open the field more. With the No. 8 pick, Carolina selected Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey.
McCaffrey spent three seasons at Stanford where he was utilized as a running back, wide receiver, and return specialist. As a sophomore, he broke Barry Sanders’ NCAA record of 3,250 all purpose yards and finished the season with 3,864 yards. He also became the first player in school history to rush for 2,000 yards in the season as he finished second in the nation in that category (2,019 yards). In the 2016 Rose Bowl, McCaffrey rushed for 172 yards and had 109 receiving yards; becoming the first player to rush for over 100 yards and have over 100 yards receiving in a Rose Bowl game. McCaffrey followed up 2015 with a stellar senior season where he led the nation in all purpose yards at 211.6 yards per game. He, along with a few other players, received criticism when he opted not to participate in the team’s Sun Bowl game.
McCaffrey also declined private workouts but the Panthers visited with him on several occasions and had a great deal of insight via wide receivers coach Lance Taylor who was at Stanford with McCaffrey. Rivera has stated that McCaffrey’s role in Carolina’s offense will mirror his role(s) at Stanford and states, “We’re looking at opportunities to create opportunities for him to make plays for us.” Only 20 years old, McCaffrey will attend rookie mini camp May 5th and 6th but will be out of action until he turns 21 in June per NCAA rules.
In the second round, Carolina added what GM Dave Gettleman referred to as “oh my gosh” speed when they selected running back/wide receiver Curtis Samuel out of Ohio State University. The junior was the only NCAA player with at least 700 rushing and receiving yards. He is the only player in OSU history with at least 1,000 career rushing and receiving yards.
Samuel, who runs a 4.31 40-yard dash, will be used primarily as a slot receiver. Teamed with Newton, Jonathan Stewart, Greg Olsen, and Kelvin Benjamin, the two new additions will provide Carolina with an arsenal that will be tough to defend.
While Carolina’s offense got a boost in speed and versatility, the depth at the offensive tackle was also a focus as the Panthers selected Taylor Moton in the second round. Moton starred for Western Michigan at both the right guard and right tackle positions. He will provide depth at a position left depleted as Michael Oher continues to battle concussion issues. The team signed Matt Kalil to a $55.5 million contract at the left tackle position during free agency despite him missing all but two games in 2016 due to a hip injury.
The Panthers traded up to take Daeshon Hall in the third round. Hall started opposite first overall pick Myles Garrett for the Texas A & M Aggies. The secondary also was an area of concern last season and the Panthers selected cornerback Corn Elder out of University of Miami in the 5th round. Elder could contribute as a back up to Captain Munnerlyn at the nickel position or as an outside cornerback behind James Bradberry and Daryl Worley.
The Panthers concluded the draft with fullback Alex Armah (6th round) and kicker Harrison Butker (7th round). Armah is yet another versatile offensive weapon who was also used at the tight end and defense end positions for West Georgia. He was the first player in Gulf South Conference history to be named All-Conference on both offense and defense. Butker, from Georgia Tech, is the first kicker drafted in franchise history. He was perfect on field goals of 40-yards or better last season for the Yellow Jackets. Set to receive his degree in industrial engineering, he will miss graduation to attend rookie mini camp in Charlotte. He can not afford to miss camp since he will be battling with Graham Gano for a roster spot.
Looks like it will be an interesting season in Charlotte. With these moves, maybe we’ll actually get to see a new end zone dance or two.