Since being hired as the Panthers head coach early in the offseason, Dave Canales has made a habit of saying that the team does not want to put too much on the shoulders of quarterback Bryce Young in his second NFL season.
The team’s offseason moves provide some idea of how Canales hopes to accomplish that. The Panthers signed guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis and they drafted running back Jonathon Brooks in the second round to go with Miles Sanders and Chuba Hubbard in the backfield.
Given those moves, it’s not a surprise that Canales said on The Season with Peter Schrager that “it all starts with the run game” for him.
“That’s what this draft and this offseason was all about,” Canales said. “I feel confident that we’ll be able to have a successful run game, which, for me, opens everything else up. It helps third down, it helps move the ball and give you more opportunities.”
There’s almost nowhere for the Panthers to go but up after posting a 2-15 record last year and the amount of improvement they show will be tied to how well Canales is able to get them moving the ball on the ground.