Panthers mailbag: Should 0-2 Carolina tank for Trevor Lawrence? Trade Curtis Samuel?
The Panthers are 0-2 to start the Matt Rhule era, and will be without their best player for at least the next three weeks.
The Panthers placed star running back Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve after he suffered a high-ankle sprain last Sunday against the Buccaneers. There are many questions surrounding how the Panthers will make up for that loss, and where they go from here.
With that, let’s dive into your questions and open up The Observer’s Panthers’ mailbag.
@brycelessgem asks: With CMC out, is Tank Mode officially on and does that mean Charlotte should be on Trevor Lawrence watch?
Great question.
While I wouldn’t rule out the Panthers finishing with the worst record in the league this year, I think it’s premature to say this team is in tank mode.
The Panthers should probably be 1-1 right now. A few costly penalties, and a failed fourth down conversion cost them the Raiders game. And the four turnovers last week against the Bucs, contributed to that 31-17 loss.
I’m not saying that the Panthers will finish with a better than 5-11 record, because I don’t believe they will. But I also haven’t seen enough to say they’ll be the worst team in the league. What I have seen is a team that doesn’t believe it is as bad as others, including me, say it is.
When we talk to the players and coaches each day, they see hope. They point to how close they were to beating these teams, had it not been for some mistakes they can clean up.
The loss of Christian McCaffrey for at least three weeks to a high-ankle sprain certainly makes that argument a lot tougher. He was responsible for so much of the team’s offense and the Panthers are going to have figure out how to compensate for that.
But I think there are also a few NFL teams in worse situations than the Panthers. So while it’s good to hope for a talent like Trevor Lawrence, I wouldn’t start that train just yet.
— Jonathan Alexander
@lovepirate77 asks: Do you think (Mike) Davis gets the same workload Christian McCaffrey would have gotten or will they try to spread things around and adjust the game plan or split carries between him and Reggie Bonnafon?
Davis won’t get the exact same workload as McCaffrey. But there are also aren’t very many running backs that can. McCaffrey isn’t just a running back, he’s one of the team’s receivers and his absence is going to be felt on a variety of levels of the offense.
I do expect Davis to get the majority of the carries at running back and be used as a receiver as well, as seen with his eight receptions on eight targets for 74 yards against the Buccaneers. Bonnafon will also be involved to an extent as well as Curtis Samuel, who could see a couple of rushes as well.
The game plan will not be exactly the same as it would have been with McCaffrey. That would be irresponsible coaching by the Panthers. No one on this roster can do what he does and Matt Rhule has often pointed to McCaffrey’s versatility has a major plus for the offense. Davis won’t see the exact involvement McCaffrey would, but he’s the starter and will be heavily involved. I would expect to see even more players involved throughout the offense with McCaffrey’s absence. They’ll need everyone to step up.
— Alaina Getzenberg
@HaroldGenderson asks: Can we trade (Curtis) Samuel?
Can they? Yes.
Will they? I think that will depend on whether they can find a way to make Samuel a bigger part of this offense. That will also determine whether he is part of their future.
Based on Rhule’s comments throughout the offseason, he likes Samuel’s potential and said he had a good camp. The coaching staff hopes to put him in a better position to succeed.
But so far, his numbers have been on par with his previous two seasons and don’t show any signs of major improvement. Samuel, who was selected in the second-round of the 2017 NFL draft (40th overall), has seven catches for 51 yards through two games this season.
“I have to use Curtis more as a receiver,” Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady said Thursday. “That was coming from some of my notes from the last two games. With his speed on the field, with him being able to push the ball deep, I have to utilize Curtis more in the pass game.”
Samuel paused, and thought about what he wanted to say, when asked about Brady wanting to use him more as a receiver.
“I thank Joe for wanting to get me more touches, but that’s not my focus...More importantly, it’s about winning. Whatever my role is, or whatever I’ve got to do, I’m going to do it to the best of my ability. If it’s touching the ball, I’m going to make things happen.”
This is the last year of Samuel’s rookie deal, so he’s looking for a new contract.
If the Panthers decide they don’t want to pay him, then it’s best they try to get something for him in return before he is able to walk.
“We have not had any talks up to this point,” Panthers general manager Marty Hurney said earlier this month.
— Jonathan Alexander
@dwp90 asks: How well are (DeAngelo Williams and Gary Barnidge) going to do on the @AmazingRaceCBS?
I’m going to be honest, Doug. When I first saw this tweet with the photo, I thought it was fake and that maybe you had cut out DeAngelo Williams’ face and put it over another picture.
But wow. So this is happening?
I’ve never seen Amazing Race, and I probably won’t watch this season, either. I just looked at the photo of the contestants. Williams and Gary Barnidge appear to be the most athletic of the bunch.
So bold prediction here.
Williams and Barnidge win.
— Jonathan Alexander
Bob G. asks: With the success that Cam is having in New England, is there any sellers remorse about letting him go? Is this amplified by not having a more mobile QB with Christian McCaffrey being out?
No, I don’t think so. Although it’s certainly understandable why it would be hard for Panthers’ fans to see the success that Newton has had up in New England through two games.
The Panthers did not move on from Newton because they thought he could never be a successful quarterback again. The decision was made to move on from the quarterback of the last nine years because of concerns related to his health (shoulder and foot) and with the new coaching staff, this team was turning over and wanted to start off with their own quarterback.
Newton’s performance was not why the team moved on from him. Is it interesting to watch him and think what could have been? Sure. Would this Panthers team be infinitely better with him on it? Probably not. He would not have made the defense any better and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater had a good first game and just too many turnovers Week 2.
In terms of McCaffrey’s absence, I don’t think having a mobile quarterback makes much of difference. The offense would be worse off without the All Pro back no matter who is playing quarterback. Bridgewater needs to show he can protect the football and that this offense can continue to have a variety of weapons involved. It is interesting to think what Newton’s ability to run could bring to this team, but the McCaffrey absence is equally impactful, no matter who is at quarterback.
Newton’s success is amplifying his departure and that is something that will follow the Panthers for the rest of his career and beyond. Him having success elsewhere was certainly a possibility when the Panthers moved on, but doesn’t change why Carolina did it.
— Alaina Getzenberg
@Yup_ThtsStrange asks: Are we going to use draft picks or trades to find a CB or do we have what we need already?
I doubt a trade will be made for a cornerback this season. The Panthers signed Eli Apple to a one-year deal, hoping he’d be the starter opposite of Donte Jackson. By doing that, rookies Troy Pride Jr. and Stantley Thomas-Oliver could learn and develop.
After Apple went on IR, the Panthers picked up Rasul Douglas, who has performed well. But Douglas and Apple are temporary replacements. And Jackson, who is in the second-to-last year of his rookie deal, hasn’t proved he’s a No. 1 cornerback yet. Fortunately for Jackson, he has at least 14 more weeks to show something.
If Jackson isn’t the future, then the Panthers could look at the draft or try and and sign someone. But I doubt it would come in the form of a trade.
As of right now, depth is the biggest issue for the cornerback position. The Panthers are being patient with Pride and Thomas-Oliver.
— Jonathan Alexander
Have a question about the Panthers? The Observer will be doing mailbags throughout the season. Send questions to jalexander@charlotteobserver.com and agetzenberg@charlotteobserver.com.
This story was originally published September 24, 2020 at 10:13 AM with the headline "Panthers mailbag: Should 0-2 Carolina tank for Trevor Lawrence? Trade Curtis Samuel?."
