NFL Draft 2017: 7 Candidates to Win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
By Joel W. Cade
2. player. 87. . Running Back. Stanford. Christian McCaffrey
87. . Running Back. The Ohio State University. Curtis Samuel. 2. player
The secret to defeating the Carolina Panthers was revealed in SuperBowl 50. Make Cam Newton beat you from the pocket. Newton’s greatest asset is his ability to be a power running back from the quarterback position. However, when the Denver Broncos took that away from him, the lack of other playmakers on offense reared its ugly head.
Some may ask, why take Christian McCaffrey and Curtis Samuel? They do not fit the power down hill running attack employed by Carolina. In fact, former first round pick Jonathan Stewart fits the power scheme better than these picks. The answer?
Welcome to the new Carolina Panthers offense. Gone are the days of the one-dimensional power run scheme. Gone are the days of stopping the run and containing Newton to win football games. Now the Panthers have two dynamic playmakers who can transform this offense into a more spread style system Newton thrives in.
McCaffrey ran in the power running system at Stanford. He is used to the schemes and has excellent vision. He is the perfect partner for Newton or Stewart in the power run system. Yet he is diverse enough to play wide receiver creating mismatches.
Enter Curtis Samuel. Samuel is another mismatch player like McCaffrey except Samuel’s base position in the NFL will be wide receiver. He ran a blazing 4.31 40-yard dash time at the combine. His speed can take the top off the defense to open the underneath for McCaffrey to work his magic. Samuel played the hybrid back role for Urban Meyer at Ohio State. He is a dynamic playmaker.
The combination of McCaffrey and Samuel could be a portent of the changing offense in Carolina to include more spread style concepts to open the field. Such a change can only make Cam Newton a better player. When Cam is happy the Panthers offense rolls.
If McCaffrey and Samuel are used in similar ways like they were in college, expect one or the other to be in the conversation for Offensive Rookie of the Year.