Getty Image / Cooper Neill
In the midst of a bad start to the season last year, the Carolina Panthers decided to move on from Christian McCaffrey. The superstar running back out of Stanford was the franchise’s standard-bearer for over half of a decade.
McCaffrey was the 8th overall pick in the 2017 Draft out of Stanford, where he finished as the Heisman runner-up and capped off his career with an incredible Rose Bowl performance.
Christian McCaffrey really scored in the first 10 seconds of the 2016 Rose Bowl 😳 🌹 @CMC_22 pic.twitter.com/tPB39EsWVL
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) May 31, 2020
These Christian McCaffrey Rose Bowl highlights live rent-free in our minds forever. 🌹
The @StanfordFball legend provided this amazing call when he led the Card to a record 45-16 Rose Bowl win.#Pac12FB | @Nextiva pic.twitter.com/wgM1IUp916
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) December 24, 2020
But, the Panthers traded him away to the 49ers midseason. Now, the team, which recently just traded up to the top pick,has signed their replacement for McCaffrey in former Eagles running back Miles Sanders.
Panthers agree to terms with RB Miles Sanders. (via @RapSheet, @MikeGarafolo) pic.twitter.com/jh80DmBxqE
— NFL (@NFL) March 15, 2023
Sanders had a great year for the Eagles, and rushed for 1269 yards and 11 touchdowns on 4.9 yards per attempt. The fourth-year player has rushed for 3,708 yards in his short career already. He should give the Panthers, who actually ran the ball pretty well this year, a big boost.
Here are some highlights.
Miles Sanders SEE YA.
📺: #PHIvsNYG on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/Q0YYPeBaSr pic.twitter.com/GcO75YWB4Q— NFL (@NFL) December 11, 2022
Best of luck in Carolina, Miles Sanders 💚 pic.twitter.com/Z014MecBnB
— Justin Lever ❤️⚾️ (@JustinLever3) March 15, 2023
Miles Sanders was the beneficiary of a great O-line, but he also forced 54 missed tackles last season, and he averaged 2.91 yards per carry after contact. Compare that with Jamaal Williams' 30 MTF and 2.78 YAC. Williams is the bigger back. It's not about size, it's about style. pic.twitter.com/hxhILJcqYR
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 16, 2023
I’m sure the Panthers aren’t done making moves.