The Carolina Panthers used their first two picks of the 2017 NFL Draft on running backs who specialize in the passing game, which means they must be looking to tweak their offense. And if you’re going to change things up, you might as well try to be more like Tom Brady.
By selecting Christian McCaffrey at No. 8 overall and then picking versatile former Ohio State running back Curtis Samuel in the second round, the Panthers are hoping to get more production in the passing game out of their backfield.
“In the Super Bowl, how many passes do you think Tom Brady threw to his backs? Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula asked The MMQB’s Peter King after the draft. “Mostly completed, right?”
Yes, that’s right. Brady attempted 19 passes to his running backs in Super Bowl LI, and he connected on 15 of them. Shula wants to see more of that from Newton and his backs.
“So maybe sometimes it turns into just a four-yard gain. But I’ll take a four-yard gain,” he added. “They’re glorified runs sometimes, but they work and it doesn’t matter what you call them.”
If and when the Panthers do start throwing more passes to their running backs, it will be a significant change for their offense. This stat should tell you all you need to know:
Since Cam Newton entered the league in 2011, no team has targeted their running backs less frequently than the Carolina Panthers. pic.twitter.com/RT9HjQY9Md
— Scott Barrett (@ScottBarrettDFB) May 1, 2017
It’s hard to evaluate the Panthers’ 2016 season after what we have heard in recent months about Newton, but it’s obvious they need more balance in the passing game. The Patriots are masters when it comes to that, so it’s no surprise Shula is using New England as the bench mark.
