Projecting Royce Freeman's Role in the Panthers' Offense

The Carolina Panthers added some depth to their backfield on Thursday afternoon by claiming running back Royce Freeman off of waivers from the Denver Broncos. To make room for Freeman, the Panthers waived running back Trenton Cannon.

The decision to waive Cannon was an interesting one considering he is viewed as the team's kick returner and an option as a punt returner. Nonetheless, head coach Matt Rhule wanted a true third running back in the backfield. During Thursday's press conference, Rhule stated that the coaching staff just views Cannon as "an offensive player". His traditional role is at running back but Carolina brought in six running backs to training camp so they moved him out to wide receiver to give the other guys a look. I wouldn't be shocked if Cannon returns to the Panthers' active roster prior to the season opener against the Jets.

So, with Cannon currently out of the picture, where does Freeman fit in?

Well, obviously Christian McCaffrey is going to be the starter in the backfield and will likely carry 80-90% of the workload. Chuba Hubbard has shown some promise in the preseason but he's not quite up to par as a pass-catcher out of the backfield, at least not as of today.

The Broncos didn't target Freeman a ton in the passing game but they weren't hesitant to go his way. In three seasons, he caught 69 passes for 409 yards and one touchdown. 83% of the balls thrown his way went for a completion. Another area Freeman does an excellent job is in pass protection. He has a good feel for sensing where the pressure is coming from and picking up blitzes to buy his quarterback a little extra time. Hubbard is decent in this facet of the game but certainly not one of his strong suits.

Freeman and Hubbard will probably split time as the No. 2, so it's more about how they will be used situationally. Freeman, a 6'0", nearly 240-pound back will be used in short-yardage situations and likely on 3rd downs as either an option in the passing game or to provide extra protection for Sam Darnold.

With McCaffrey missing 13 games a year ago, the Panthers needed some insurance in the backfield, and adding a bruiser like Freeman is the way to go. Mike Davis flourished in his role in 2020. Could we see Freeman have the same success?

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