Panthers HC Dave Canales ‘fired up’ about RB group led by Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders
With head coach Dave Canales now running the show, the Carolina Panthers are hoping to quickly turn around what was the league’s worst offense last season.
The team’s running game ranked 20th in the NFL in 2023, but its backfield turned out to be the strength of the offense, as quarterback Bryce Young and the passing game failed to find any form of consistency throughout the 2-15 season. High-priced free-agent addition and running back Miles Sanders struggled mightily during the first half of the 2023 season. He was eventually replaced by Chuba Hubbard, who had an impressive stretch in the second half and finished with a career-high 902 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
With a completely new offensive staff in place, Canales has already declared he will be stubborn with his desire to run the ball. And while the group stayed static during free agency — Hubbard has already been named the top back heading into the offseason program — Canales appears to be optimistic about his backfield entering this month’s NFL draft.
“I am fired up about it,” Canales said last month in Orlando at the NFL’s annual meeting. “I am excited to see what Miles can do. I know Chuba got a lot more opportunities last year. You saw the style, the toughness. That’s what we’re looking for. Then really from there, it’s about building the front the right way, getting the system so everyone is on the same page. And really demanding the opportunity-style of runs, but I am excited about the backfield.”
An upgrade to the Panthers’ O-line
The Panthers believe they’ve upgraded their offensive line with the high-priced free agency arrivals of guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis. The team also plans to move veteran right guard Austin Corbett to center. Although those moves were made with pass protection in mind, all three interior linemen can serve as road graders on the ground in the running game.
This means Hubbard and Sanders could have more opportunities to break free from the trenches this season. Those opportunities, at least from a snap count perspective, will come out of the competition this summer at training camp.
“See who wants it,” Canales said about the running back competition. “Who wants it the most. Let’s see who’s hungry and runs angry. That will be the person that gets the ball.”
Competing for the football
Sanders and Hubbard won’t be the only ones competing for the ball this summer. A quartet of backs from last season’s roster and practice squad is also back.
Raheem Blackshear might have a leg up because of his kick return ability, but the Panthers also want to see what Tarik Cohen, who hasn’t played in a game since Sept. 2020, has to offer. The team also has longtime practice-squad contributor Spencer Brown and journeyman Mike Boone in the backfield.
With Hubbard entering the final year of his rookie contract, and Sanders failing to live up to his high-priced billing, the Panthers could potentially add to the competition with one of their seven draft picks. The middle rounds could offer an opportunity to land a long-term contributor, who could then tandem with Hubbard or Sanders and/or eventually succeed both of them.
In March, when asked about the acquisition of wide receiver Diontae Johnson, Canales said he wanted to challenge the roster at all positions this offseason to avoid complacency. With a blank slate on the developmental side of things, the new regime could look to bring a new face to the running back room as well.
