The Real Battle: Which Rookie?
When the Panthers selected Jordan Scarlett in the fifth round, it appeared they had drafted an heir to Cameron Artis-Payne, who had signed a contract for close to the veteran minimum the month before the draft, rather than a similar player to McCaffrey – the kind of running back Rivera said during the NFL combine they would be targeting. And then when they followed that by signing undrafted free agent Elijah Holyfield from Georgia, a bruising inside rusher whose stock was hurt by a slow 40 time but the speed shown on tape and his vision give him a good chance to make the roster, if nothing else as a depth piece with upside for the future, it would appear that they were preparing for at least the possibility of moving on from Artis-Payne, who was selected in the fifth round of the 2015 draft and played his entire rookie deal.
Holyfield will be competing with Scarlett for a roster spot; with both of them having similar rushing styles and skillsets, if the Panthers want to keep only one rookie running back, it will likely be decided in Spartanburg and during the preseason.
Don’t rule out the possibility of both making the roster, but their overlapping skillsets may make one of them redundant.
Other Questions: Can Someone Step Up?
Perhaps the most like-for-like replacement for McCaffrey on the roster is second-year rusher Reggie Bonnafon, who spent all of last year on the practice squad after spending much of his college career alternating between quarterback, wide receiver and other positions. Unless the Panthers have had a major change in attitude since last season when their running back room contained backs like Kenjon Barner and Travaris Cadet, who were both closer to a CMC backup than complement, it seems likely that they’d like to have at least one back who has a similar, albeit not as impressive, skillset.
If he can show the ability to contribute on special teams, consider him a dark horse roster candidate.
Elijah Hood, who seemed as he was destined for the practice squad last season before a catastrophic knee injury in Week 4 of the preseason, would be a candidate for the scout team this season as well.
