HEADLINES

Month: January 2025

Latest On Colts’ OL Situation

July 8th, 2023 at 2:02pm CST by Ely Allen

After years of dominant offensive line play, the last season of offensive line coach Chris Strausser‘s tenure saw an uncharacteristically down year for the team’s position group up front. With Strausser now coaching for rival Houston, the Colts are hoping that Tony Sparano can get the line back on track.

After the spring, it appears that the team has no plans to switch up the starting lineup with which they ended the 2022 season, according to Mike Chappell of FOX 59. Left tackle Bernhard Raimann, left guard Quenton Nelson, center Ryan Kelly, right guard Will Fries, and right tackle Braden Smith all return to start in 2023.

After starting his career in an elite manner, Nelson’s play has dropped slightly in the past two years. He’s still a Pro Bowl talent who is in no danger of losing his starting job, but after an extension that would make him the league’s highest paid guard at the time became inevitable, he’s gone from a top-three guard in the NFL to top-20, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Fries, a seventh-round pick from 2021, was asked to step up as a starter for the second-half of last season. It took him a bit to find his footing, but he displayed a few strong performances to end the season, and he’ll start the year opposite Nelson.

At center, Kelly has shown flashes of talent that have made him a top-10 center in the past. He bounced back after a dismal 2021 season but still didn’t quite reach the top-form we saw from him just a few years ago. His job should continue to be safe as backups Wesley French and Dakoda Shepley have a combined zero starts.

On the outside ends of the line, the team will aim to get Raimann and Smith a full year together. Raimann stepped up a few games into the season last year and performed admirably as a rookie at what is widely considered the toughest job on the line. Now, with 11 starts under his belt, Raimann is ready to not only perform but excel on the blindside in Year 2. Smith continues to be a bright spot on the line, even in a down year for the group. The only challenge with Smith seems to be keeping him on the field. Smith has missed nine games since the start of the 2020 season, and keeping him healthy throughout the year could be big for the integrity of the line.

The roster consistency gave Indianapolis the luxury of not needing to do much to address the position group this offseason. No big men were added in free agency, but the team added two rookies in the draft in fourth-round pick Blake Freeland out of BYU and seventh-round pick Jake Witt out of Northern Michigan. While Witt has an NFL frame that could help him contribute as a rookie depth piece if needed, he’s likely a project that needs a bit of time to develop. Freeland, on the other hand, looks a bit more NFL-ready and is expected to stand in as the team’s swing tackle as a rookie. If Smith does end up missing any time or Raimann experiences a bit of a sophomore slump, Freeland should be the first name off the bench to fill in.

So, that’s the situation heading into 2023. There’s a little concern over the lack of personnel adjustments after a disappointing performance in 2022, but there’s hope that consistency and a new face in the coaching staff will help push this group to its usual dominance. They also inserted that fresh blood that has potential to energize the line, if necessary.

2024 Salary Cap Projections For All 32 Teams

July 8th, 2023 at 10:40am CST by Ben Levine

With most of the NFL’s cap space having dried up and most of the league’s top free agents having inked new contracts, many front offices will begin focusing on extensions for impending free agent veterans and players who are about to conclude their rookie contracts.

Naturally, part of these extension efforts will be focused on simply retaining players. However, front offices will also use these extension opportunities to help clean their books for future offseasons. With that said, we’ve compiled the current 2024 cap space outlooks for all 32 NFL teams (h/t to Spotrac.com):

  1. Houston Texans: $87.77MM
  2. New England Patriots: $85.43MM
  3. Chicago Bears: $78.01MM
  4. Washington Commanders: $67.65MM
  5. Tennessee Titans: $64.85MM
  6. Indianapolis Colts: $62.93MM
  7. Detroit Lions: $49.21MM
  8. Arizona Cardinals: $45.80MM
  9. Cincinnati Bengals: $44.43MM
  10. New York Giants: $44.36MM
  11. Carolina Panthers: $35.95MM
  12. Kansas City Chiefs: $35.66MM
  13. Minnesota Vikings: $32.45MM
  14. Las Vegas Raiders: $28.64MM
  15. Atlanta Falcons: $23.04MM
  16. Los Angeles Rams: $21.85MM
  17. Jacksonville Jaguars: $5.14MM
  18. Philadelphia Eagles: $5.10MM
  19. Seattle Seahawks: $5.01MM
  20. New York Jets: $346K
  21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $216K
  22. Green Bay Packers: $-2.25MM
  23. Baltimore Ravens: $-5.56MM
  24. Pittsburgh Steelers: $-6.66M
  25. Dallas Cowboys: $-6.67MM
  26. San Francisco 49ers: $-31.20MM
  27. Denver Broncos: $-37.89MM
  28. Buffalo Bills: $-46.20MM
  29. Miami Dolphins: $-51.46MM
  30. New Orleans Saints: $-80.98MM
  31. Los Angeles Chargers: $-83.60MM
  32. Cleveland Browns: $-85.08MM

The Texans are in the midst of a rebuild, so it’s not a huge surprise that they sit atop the list of projected 2024 cap space. The organization currently has only three players projected to have cap hits north of $10MM in 2024 (Laremy Tunsil, Shaq Mason, and Maliek Collins). The Texans could use the 2024 offseason as an opportunity to make the team more competitive, but the team’s hopes of eventually becoming a contender will depend on their draft picks, including a pair of first-round picks in next year’s draft.

After the Patriots went on an uncharacteristic spending spree during the 2021 offseason, things have mostly been quiet over the past two years. Many of those big-money deals from 2021 are set to come off the books in 2024, providing the Patriots with an opportunity to load up during the fourth year of Mac Jones‘ rookie contract. Some of that cap space will surely go to extensions, including safety Kyle Dugger (as we explored the other day).

There are 11 teams that, as currently slated, wouldn’t be cap compliant heading into the 2024 regular season. Those teams will eventually clear up the necessary amount of breathing room, but that will be easier said than done for some organizations. The Browns have six players who are projected to have cap hits north of $18MM in 2024 (Deshaun Watson, Myles Garrett, Amari Cooper, Denzel Ward, Joel Bitonio, and David Njoku), and while reworking some of those pacts will clear up some space, it won’t completely solve Cleveland’s cap predicament.

The Chargers are another interesting team to watch, especially with Justin Herbert likely commanding a lucrative new contract. Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa, Keenan Allen, and Mike Williams are projected to count for 59 percent of the team’s 2024 cap, meaning the front office will surely have to make some tough decisions as they look to navigate the 2024 offseason.

Latest On Dalvin Cook, Dolphins

July 8th, 2023 at 9:32am CST by Ben Levine

Despite a crowded running backs room, the Dolphins have been consistently linked to free agent Dalvin Cook. While adding a player of Cook’s caliber would surely take snaps away from other worthy players, it sounds like the team’s current RB corps would welcome an All-Pro teammate.

[RELATED: Dolphins Make Offer To Dalvin Cook]

“We’ve got some dawgs here, so having Dalvin Cook in the mix, that competition breeds excellence, man,” fullback Alec Ingold said during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio (via NFL.com’s Kevin Patra). “You want as much good quality backs as you can possibly have, especially in our offense when guys can really make something happen with it. You can get the ball, you can touch it a million different ways. You’ve got out of the backfield, you’ve got in the backfield, outside zone, inside zone. We’re gonna run some routes.

“More backs! Give me all the backs! Can we have 15 running backs in the training camp room? I would love it.”

The Dolphins are currently slated to return much of the same running back corps in 2023. This group includes Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson, Salvon Ahmed, and Myles Gaskin. The team also used a third-round pick on Texas A&M’s Devon Achane.

While that grouping looks okay on paper, that core also finished 25th in rushing yards last season. With the Dolphins looking to make a playoff push, you couldn’t blame the organization for eyeing an upgrade at the position. Mostert ended up pacing the position with 891 yards; Cook has topped 1,000 rushing yards in each of the past four seasons.

Miami has loomed as the Cook favorite for months. The Dolphins discussed a Cook trade with the Vikings but ultimately stood down and waited for a release, and they’ve since made the Miami native an offer. PFR readers widely expect the Florida State alum to ultimately sign with his hometown team.

Anthony Blevins Leaves Giants For XFL Job

July 7th, 2023 at 10:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants will need to make a late-offseason replacement on their coaching staff. One of their longest-tenured staffers is stepping away for an opportunity in the XFL.

Assistant special teams coach Anthony Blevins is leaving Brian Daboll‘s staff, per the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard (on Twitter). Although the Giants have changed head coaches twice in the past four years, Blevins has been part of the team’s past six staffs. It is not especially common to see July coaching staff departures, but the XFL will provide a promotion of sorts. The Vegas Vipers named Blevins as their head coach, per a team announcement.

“I’m honored to be named head coach of the Vipers. I watched the XFL last season, and I was incredibly impressed by the action on the field and the coaching on the sidelines,” Blevins said. “I’m looking forward to taking the next step in my career, and this a great opportunity to share my knowledge and experience while getting the most out of players on the field for the fans in the stands and watching at home.”

Blevins will replace Hall of Famer Rod Woodson as the Vipers’ leader. Woodson agreed to join the twice-rebooted league as the Vegas franchise’s head coach, but the sides mutually parted ways last month. The Vipers went 2-8 last season.

In place as the Giants’ assistant ST coach since 2021, Blevins also held roles on defense during his time in New York. The 46-year-old assistant joined Pat Shurmur‘s staff in 2018, leaving a five-year post as Bruce Arians‘ assistant ST coach in Arizona for the same role in New York. The Giants moved Blevins to assistant defensive backs coach upon hiring Joe Judge — who came to the Big Apple with a special teams background — in 2020 and then to assistant linebackers coach in 2021. Daboll returned Blevins to the assistant ST role last year.

The Browns interviewed Blevins for their special teams coordinator role earlier this year, but the gig went to former Colts ST boss Bubba Ventrone. Blevins has been in the NFL for the past 10 seasons, spending most of the previous decade as a college assistant.

The Giants still have ST coordinator Thomas McGaughey, who joined the team during the same offseason in which Blevins arrived, in place. McGaughey is the last staff link to the Shurmur years now. Defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson and assistant DBs coach Mike Treier are holdovers from Judge’s staff, however.

Olamide Zaccheaus To Vie For Eagles’ Slot WR Role

July 7th, 2023 at 9:49pm CST by Ely Allen

Aside from running back Miles Sanders, who departed for Carolina in free agency, the Eagles return every starting skill player on offense. For an offense that finished last year second in the league in scoring and total yardage, that doesn’t leave a lot of room for improvement. Still the defending NFC Champions may have found a spot at which to improve, according to Geoff Mosher and Andrew DiCecco of Inside the Birds.

The 2022 Eagles saw quarterback Jalen Hurts spoiled with three star pass catchers in A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and tight end Dallas Goedert. Quez Watkins contributed out of the slot with 33 catches for 354 yards, but that was a big step back from a sophomore campaign that saw him catch 43 balls for 647 yards.

That makes the offseason free agent addition of former Falcons wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus fairly noteworthy. While Watkins took a step back in 2022, Zaccheaus has done nothing but improve year after year. In a year that saw Atlanta struggle behind the arms of Marcus Mariota and rookie Desmond Ridder, Zaccheaus delivered his best statistical season alongside a star-starved cast of rookie Drake London, Damiere Byrd, and KhaDarel Hodge.

With a 2022 line of 40 receptions for 533 yards and three touchdowns and the ability to progress each season, Zaccheaus provides an exciting potential upgrade for Philadelphia on offense. Watkins struggled at times last year, arguably playing a role in some of the team’s few losses. Zaccheaus provides more dependable hands, as well as a size and skill-set not possessed by the team’s top two wideouts.

The team’s fourth receiver last year, Zach Pascal, performed more as a blocker than a receiver, and he can continue in that role in 2023. If unseated by Zaccheaus, Watkins can rotate with Pascal as the fourth receiver, depending on the situation, or fill in for Brown or Smith if either need a breather or get injured.

So Hurts’s targets could look slightly different next year. Aside from new running backs D’Andre Swift and Rashaad Penny leading that room now, Hurts could be throwing to wide receivers Brown, Smith, and Zaccheaus and the tight end, Goedert, with Watkins and Pascal coming off the bench.

Ravens Rumors: WRs, Nickelback, Ricard

July 7th, 2023 at 8:42pm CST by Ely Allen

The Ravens did a lot in their attempts to improve the wide receiving corps this offseason. What that usually means is that some receivers from last year’s roster will be fighting to remain on the team this summer. According to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, one of James Proche or Tylan Wallace may find themselves on the outside looking in come September.

Proche and Wallace were drafted in back-to-back years following quarterback Lamar Jackson‘s 2019 MVP season. Both players were taken as flyers following more valuable attempts to add to the room as the Ravens tried to bolster Jackson’s weapons cache. In 2020, Proche joined Devin Duvernay as rookies out of the state of Texas. Duvernay, a third-round pick out of Texas, was expected to be a contributor who could add to the room very soon, while Proche, a sixth-round pick out of SMU, had a similar playing style and added an ability as a return man.

Wallace had a stronger chance to contribute as a fourth-rounder out of Oklahoma State the following year, but he was still not the team’s headliner rookie receiver that year. Wallace was picked three rounds after first-round pick Rashod Bateman, the clear choice of rookies expected to contribute right away.

The source of disappointment in Wallace is fairly apparent. Through two years in the NFL, Wallace has only six catches for 56 yards. He contributes on special teams, but that doesn’t help a ton when he misses eight games, as he did last season. Proche showed signs of life in a sophomore season with 16 catches for 202 yards, but he took a step back in 2022 with only eight catches for 62 yards. His return ability was rendered moot, as well, as Duvernay earned first-team All-Pro honors as a return man.

The offseason has seen the departures of pass catchers Demarcus Robinson, DeSean Jackson, and Sammy Watkins, all of whom outperformed Proche and Wallace last year, but the additions of Odell Beckham Jr., Nelson Agholor, and first-round pick Zay Flowers vastly outweigh what was lost in the room. With a top-five of Bateman, Beckham, Flowers, Duvernay, and Agholor, it’s hard to see where Proche and Wallace are both getting in the game. In a situation where the Ravens only hold on to six wide receivers, Proche and Wallace are likely going to be battling it out for that last roster spot in the preseason.

Here are a few more roster rumors coming out of Charm City:

  • Baltimore added to the cornerbacks room this offseason with the additions of free agent Rock Ya-Sin and fifth-round pick Kyu Blu Kelly. While those acquisitions address the loss of starting cornerback Marcus Peters, the team may need to also address the slot. With Kyle Hamilton, who covered a bit of time in the slot last season with Chuck Clark and Marcus Williams starting at safety, moving back to his more natural position, who do the Ravens play in the slot? According to Zrebiec, second-year cornerback Damarion Williams is the favorite for the job, but Williams is reportedly dealing with some health issues right now. If Williams can’t go, Brandon Stephens, who has shown versatility while playing both safety and cornerback in his first two years, could get a chance to demonstrate his abilities. Former undrafted safety Ar’Darius Washington also reportedly has some “fans in the building” and could get an opportunity. Zrebiec doesn’t want to rule out starting cornerback Marlon Humphrey, though. Some around the team believe that putting one of the team’s best defenders closer to the ball and line of scrimmage could allow him to demonstrate his physicality and game-changing ability on more of a regular basis.
  • With the addition of new offensive coordinator Todd Monken, some fans were concerned about the safety of fullback Patrick Ricard‘s roster spot. Ricard was used heavily in former play-caller Greg Roman‘s system, but does Monken’s new system allow for Ricard to extend his streak of four straight Pro Bowl selections? According to Zrebiec, Monken may have little say in the matter. General manager Eric DeCosta and head coach John Harbaugh both value Ricard highly as a player. They’ve used him as a blocker out of the backfield, a receiver lining up at fullback and tight end, a contributor on special teams, and even as a defensive lineman in his early years. Regardless of how Monken has utilized fullbacks in the past, it’s hard to see a scenario where the Ravens can’t find a role for Ricard to fill.

Dolphins Eyeing Slot Work For Jalen Ramsey

July 7th, 2023 at 7:09pm CST by Ely Allen

When star cornerback Jalen Ramsey first changed coasts, he changed roles. After spending the majority of his time in Jacksonville as an outside cornerback, the Rams began to use utilize him a bit more in the slot, while still primarily playing him outside. Now, headed back to the east coast, there’s an expectation that the ratio of snaps will continue to shift towards the slot in Miami, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

As a young defender in Jacksonville, Ramsey was dominant while continuously playing over 80 percent of his snaps at outside cornerback. In the position, he delivered a first-team All-Pro year that saw the best defensive grades of his career, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). In the waning years of his rookie deal, he continued to play on the perimeter but failed to meet the expectations set by his stellar sophomore season.

Instead of extending the perennial Pro Bowler, the Jaguars opted to trade Ramsey to Los Angeles in the middle of his fourth year on the team. There were reported altercations with then-Jacksonville head coach Doug Marrone, and the team honored reported requests to be dealt elsewhere.

Once established in Los Angeles, the Rams began to do something the Jaguars hadn’t: move Ramsey around. During his time in LA, Ramsey played much more of a “star” role than he had the opportunity to in Jacksonville. During his first year with the Rams, the snap share only went up to about 17 percent, still a much larger share than any year with the Jaguars. By 2021, though, over 30 percent of his defensive snaps came from the slot. As a result, Ramsey began to show signs of dominance again, putting up the best defensive and coverage ratings, according to PFF, since his elite sophomore season.

In fact, 2022 saw Ramsey give up an uncharacteristically high 98.6 passer rating, driven up mostly by his play on the perimeter. When playing in the slot last year, Ramsey only gave up a 79.7 passer rating. According to Jackson, this is something that new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will take into consideration.

Last year’s rookie standout, Kader Kohou, is expected to take the majority of snaps in the slot for the Dolphins, while Ramsey slots in opposite Xavien Howard on the outside. But Fangio plans to deploy Ramsey in the slot at times based on the success he’s seen when splitting his time between the two positions.

Fangio is blessed with a fairly deep cornerback group that includes Ramsey, Howard, Kohou, and South Carolina second-round pick Cam Smith leading the group. Nik Needham and Keion Crossen both provide serviceable depth after being forced into more playing time last year due to injuries. Release candidate Noah Igbinoghene and special teams ace Justin Bethel round out the likeliest corners to make the final 53-man roster.

That depth should allow Fangio the freedom to experiment a bit with moving pieces around without compromising the quality of play too much. This could result in Ramsey continuing the success he found in California, splitting his time in the slot and outside.

Pat Shurmur Expected To Join Colorado Staff

July 7th, 2023 at 5:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Friday afternoon continues to supply coaching news, which is fairly atypical for July. Pat Shurmur, who did not coach last season, will catch on in the college ranks. Deion Sanders is adding the two-time NFL HC to his Colorado staff, Mike Klis of 9News tweets.

Most recently the Broncos’ offensive coordinator, Shurmur has not coached in college since the late 1990s. Andy Reid hired Shurmur for his first Eagles staff back in 1999, bringing him over after a role as Stanford’s offensive line coach. From then until the 2021 season, Shurmur coached in the NFL. But Colorado will bring him aboard. 247Sports.com’s Carl Reed Jr. was the first to report the hire was expected (Twitter link).

Formerly a head coach with the Browns and Giants, Shurmur caught on as the Broncos’ OC in 2020. Not exactly saddled with prime ingredients on offense during that stay, Shurmur was out once the team fired Vic Fangio. But Shurmur’s 2021 work looks better after what happened in Denver last year. Using Teddy Bridgewater as their primary starter, the 2021 Broncos ranked 23rd in points. This came with three Drew Lock starts and two extended appearances by the struggling second-round pick. Last season, the Broncos’ Nathaniel Hackett–Russell Wilson partnership produced a last-place scoring ranking.

Shurmur, 58, is expected to serve as an offensive analyst with the Buffaloes, Reed adds. While Shurmur has been in the NFL since 1999, he did make that jump after a lengthy stay in the college ranks to start his career. Michigan State employed Shurmur as an assistant from 1988-97.

Although the Browns and Giants both fired Shurmur (19-46 as a head coach) after two seasons, he has enjoyed success as an assistant. Most notably, Shurmur earned Assistant Coach of the Year acclaim for his 2017 work in Minnesota. Despite losing starter Sam Bradford early that season, the Vikings soared to a 13-3 mark and earned the NFC’s No. 2 seed behind backup Case Keenum. In what proved to be an outlier season, Keenum led the NFL in quarterback DVOA and won a back-and-forth matchup against the Saints to book the Vikings in their first NFC championship game since 2009.

After spending 10 seasons on Reid’s Eagles staff, Shurmur enjoyed three opportunities as an NFL OC. He served in that capacity with the Rams (2009-10) and, after the Browns stint, back with the Eagles (2013-15). Shurmur called plays for the Vikings, Giants and Broncos from 2017-21. The Commanders interviewed him for their OC position this offseason, but the job went to Eric Bieniemy.

LB Drue Tranquill Addresses Chargers Departure, Chiefs’ Pursuit

July 7th, 2023 at 2:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

Drue Tranquill was part of an impressive inside linebacker free agent class, but he was only able to land a one-year contract on the open market. It came from the Chiefs, making his move an intra-divisional one after he began his career with the Chargers.

When speaking about his first foray into free agency, the 27-year-old reflected on his time in Los Angeles and the failure of talks for a new deal to materialize. That led him to head elsewhere, with Kansas City representing an appealing destination given their recent Super Bowl successes. The prospect of joining the defending champions was aided by the personal push made by their head coach.

“I poured my heart out there for four years in L.A. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out,” Tranquill said during an appearance on NFL Total Access (h/t Kevin Patra of NFL.com). “I was really honored by the way the Chiefs pursued me, all the way from the front office down to the coaching staff. Andy Reid literally texted me the morning of [when] I was going to make my decision… I just felt really valued over there, felt like they really had a role for me and really wanted me over there.”

The Notre Dame product served in a rotational capacity for his first three seasons, but he thrived as a starter in 2022. Tranquill racked up 146 tackles, five sacks and four pass breakups, the latter figure demonstrating his strength dropping back into coverage. In his absence, the Chargers will have free agent addition Eric Kendricks and third-round rookie Daiyan Henley in place alongside 2020 first-rounder Kenneth Murray at the linebacker position.

The Chiefs, meanwhile, still have 2022 starters Willie Gay and Nick Bolton on their rookie contracts. The pair were productive last season, combining to make 300 tackles between the regular and postseason. Despite having 2022 third-rounder Leo Chenal (who contributed both on defense and special teams) in the fold as well, Kansas City elected to bring in Tranquill on a $3MM pact. It will be interesting to see how the latter fits into Steve Spagnuolo‘s defense given the unit’s incumbent members.

Tranquill’s remarks illustrate how widespread support for signing him was throughout the Chiefs organization, though, so he will likely enter the 2023 season with a signficant workload and high expectations. A repeat of his success from last season could lead his new team to another title, while boosting his free agent value in the process.

Panthers Eyeing Three-Down Role For RB Miles Sanders

July 7th, 2023 at 11:20am CST by Adam La Rose

The Panthers’ investment in Miles Sanders (four years, $25MM) was one of a small number of lengthy commitments made at the running back position this offseason. The terms of the deal suggest he will have a multi-faceted role in Carolina’s offense, and both player and team anticipate that will be the case.

[RELATED: Sanders Addresses Eagles Exit]

Sanders showed an ability to contribute in the passing game during his rookie season with the Eagles. He recorded 509 yards and three touchdowns on 50 receptions in 2019, but his totals in terms of targets, catches and yards decreased with each passing campaign after that. He expects to once again have a signficant workload through the air.

“I think it’ll happen organically just by the coaches that we have here,” the 26-year-old said, via Joe Person of The Athletic (subscription required). “And they know exactly what type of back I am… I’m looking forward to getting back into that three-down-type back and just flow with it and see what happens.”

Sanders’ position coach in Carolina this year will be Duce Staley, as was the case for his first two campaigns in Philadelphia. Staley was named as a reason Sanders chose to join the Panthers, and the team’s new-look staff will aim to replicate the former second-rounder’s career year (built mostly on rushing production) in 2022. Head coach Frank Reich acknowledged that doing so will involve an uptick in his target share compared to his three most recent Eagles campaigns.

“Miles [is] just a versatile, three-down back” Reich recently said of Sanders, who comfortably sits atop the RB depth chart. “He’s really, in a lot of ways, a complete back. We really look for that in that No. 1 spot. Want [him] to be on the field all three downs.”

Chuba Hubbard and Raheem Blackshear remain in place as depth options after the midseason trade of Christian McCaffrey and the free agent departure of D’Onta Foreman. Their playing time would stand to take a slight step back if Sanders were to remain on the field during passing situations in Carolina, though a three-down approach could pay dividends for an offense which will be led by rookie quarterback Bryce Young. The way snaps are divided in training camp will be worth watching as Sanders settles into his new home.

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