Tag: Miles Sanders

Report: Cowboys monitoring Panthers RB Miles Sanders

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Cowboys have their eyes on Panthers RB Miles Sanders.

Could Miles Sanders be heading back to the NFC East?

According to ESPN senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler, the Carolina Panthers running back may be of interest to the Dallas Cowboys—who still seem to be sorting out their backfield. Fowler, after recently visiting the reigning division champions at training camp, wrote the following of their situation:

The Cowboys know they face questions at running back after losing Tony Pollard to a bigger contract in Tennessee. They will monitor the Ezekiel Elliott-Rico Dowdle-Royce Freeman experience, while keeping a short list of external options, just in case. Carolina’s Miles Sanders is on that list. And Dalvin Cook has shown interest in playing for Dallas. As it stands, Elliott is slated as the starter, but the Cowboys will manage his snaps. They need Dowdle to stay healthy; McCarthy likes what he has shown in camp. And the team really likes Freeman’s tape from the Rams last season and believes he can be an impact RB2/RB3 option — a banger in small doses.

After spending his first four NFL seasons as a member the Philadelphia Eagles, Sanders signed a four-year, $25.4 million deal with the Panthers in the spring of 2023. He’d go on to experience his worst campaign as a pro—hitting lows in starts (five), attempts (129) and rushing yards (432) while averaging 3.3 yards per carry.

The 27-year-old could be a third wheel in Carolina upon the clearance of rookie Jonathon Brooks, whom the team selected with the 46th overall of the 2024 draft. Sanders is currently listed behind starter Chuba Hubbard on the unofficial depth chart.

[lawrence-related id=700903,698593,698433]

Fantasy football: Carolina Panthers running backs preview

Here’s how you should address this backfield in fantasy drafts.

No offense was more putrid than the Carolina Panthers last season. They finished last in yards (265.3 per game), last in points (13.9), and last in passing (161.2). The lone bright spot, if you can call it that, was the running game, which ranked 20th in yards per game (104.1) and tied for 21st in yards per carry (4.0), though they were one of three clubs to rush for a league-low seven touchdowns.

Part of the problem was that running back Miles Sanders, who signed a four-year, $25 million deal, to come over from the Philadelphia Eagles, struggled mightily and lost his starting job to Chuba Hubbard, which is not what the team had in mind. Rather than dip back into free agency to try and upgrade the backfield, Carolina instead traded up in the second round to select Jonathon Brooks, the first running back taken in this year’s draft.

Development from quarterback Bryce Young will help loosen things up for the backs, and reports from Panthers camp have been positive on that front. While we’ll have to wait and see how the offense looks in Week 1, let’s check out Carolina’s options at running back.

Panthers place former Eagles running back Rashaad Penny on reserve/retired list

Former Philadelphia Eagles running back Rashaad Penny is set to retire from the NFL

Rashaad Penny plans to retire after being barely utilized in 2023 and facing a similar scenario in 2024 with Carolina.

The veteran running back, who played for head coach Dave Canales in Seattle, signed with the Panthers in May, but he’ll leave the NFL after six seasons.

The 28-year-old Penny played five years for the Seahawks and spent last season with the Eagles, where saw limited action.

In 45 career games, Penny ran for 1,951 yards and 13 touchdowns.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Panthers’ RB unit ranked 27th in NFL by PFF

The Panthers have plenty of room to run up the rankings in 2024.

It’s clear that Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales wants to run, run and then run some more. But is his offense equipped to do so?

Pro Football Focus analyst Trevor Sikkema ranked the NFL’s 32 running back units heading into the 2024 campaign. And while he positions the Panthers all the way down at No. 27, Sikkema believes there’s quite a bit of upside for the group:

Chuba Hubbard placed 18th in PFF wins above average last season (0.18), and the Panthers also drafted who I believe to be the top back in the 2024 NFL Draft in Jonathon Brooks, who earned an elite 92.0 rushing grade last season.

If Brooks can progress nicely and confidently after his ACL tear in November, this has the chance to be a sneaky good group with an improved offensive line in front of them.

That improved offensive line includes free-agent signees and new starting guards Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt. Lewis earned a 57.9 run blocking grade from PFF this past season with Hunt scoring a career-high 74.5 in the category.

But as for the fellas who actually run the ball—Miles Sanders, who will try to bounce back from a nightmarish 2023, had this to say about the running back room during mandatory minicamp:

“We had chemistry since I got in here last year starting with Chuba and Raheem [Blackshear]. And now we got Jonathon, we got a couple of other new guys, we got [Rashaad] Penny, Penny in there too and [Mike] Boone. The guys are great. We all get along very well. We compete real good.”

The competition will continue next month.

[lawrence-related id=698005,698152,698593]

Panthers’ deal with Miles Sanders listed amongst NFL’s worst contracts for 2024

The Panthers may have buyer’s remorse on Miles Sanders.

Plenty of eyebrows were raised when the Carolina Panthers signed running back Miles Sanders to a four-year, $25.4 million deal last spring. Turns out, those eyebrows weren’t unjustified in their positioning.

David Kenyon of Bleacher Report recently rattled off the NFL’s ten worst contracts ahead of the 2024 campaign. In at No. 8 on the list is that very pact between Sanders and the Panthers:

Miles Sanders assembled a decent four-year run with the Philadelphia Eagles and entered 2023 free agency on a high note. He’d rushed for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns in the previous season, and that production convinced the Carolina Panthers to offer a four-year contract.

Through one season, it’s a bust of a deal.

Sanders rushed for just 432 yards and lost his starting job to Chuba Hubbard in 2023. Then, the Panthers used a second-round pick on Jonathon Brooks in the 2024 NFL draft.

As a result, Sanders may hold a minimal role despite his contract having $7.5 million in dead money at best in 2024.

In all likelihood, the Panthers will release him next offseason when the penalty drops below $3 million.

Those 432 rushing yards were a career-low for Sanders, who was coming off his most productive season as a pro in 2023. He also hit worsts in starts (five) and attempts (129) while averaging 3.3 yards per carry—the third-lowest amongst all qualifying ball carriers.

President of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan did have some nice words on Sanders during the draft, stating that he still envisions a “big role” for the sixth-year veteran. But with Brooks in the fold and Hubbard continuing to impress this spring, Sanders may just be an expensive spectator for much of the upcoming season.

[lawrence-related id=698433,698462,698005]

Miles Sanders speaks on Panthers’ chemistry, competition at RB

Miles Sanders was asked about the chemistry and competition in Carolina’s crowded RB room.

Around this time last year, Miles Sanders was the guy of the Carolina Panthers’ running back room. And now, he’s just one of the guys.

Sanders spoke with reporters following Tuesday’s session of mandatory minicamp. He was asked about his impressions of the new offensive scheme under first-year head coach Dave Canales.

“Lookin’ at the new scheme—we’re gonna run the ball, we gon’ run the ball, we gon’ run the ball, we gon’ run the ball. And we’re gonna create a lot of opportunities for the guys that we have to get the ball in their hands. And it’s gonna be a fun year. It’s gonna be a very fun year.”

Some of those guys may include Sanders’ backfield mates—more specifically, last year’s leading rusher Chuba Hubbard and this year’s second-round pick Jonathon Brooks. So with quite a few mouths to feed at the position, Sanders was asked about the chemistry of the crowded spot.

“We had chemistry since I got in here last year starting with Chuba and Raheem [Blackshear],” he replied. “And now we got Jonathon, we got a couple of other new guys, we got [Rashaad] Penny, Penny in there too and [Mike] Boone. The guys are great. We all get along very well. We compete real good. And the chemistry in there, we all help each other to learn to the playbook.”

Sanders, who signed a four-year, $25.4 million deal with the Panthers last offseason, is coming off career-lows in starts (five), attempts (129) and rushing yards (432).

[lawrence-related id=697961,698005,698152]

Panthers RB Miles Sanders dealing with heel injury during OTAs

Panthers HC Dave Canales told reporters that RB Miles Sanders is currently dealing with a heel issue.

The Miles Sanders Revenge Tour isn’t off to the best of starts.

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales spoke with reporters following Tuesday’s outing of organized team activities. He was asked about Sanders, who did not participate in drills on the afternoon.

“Miles just has a little something in his heel,” Canales stated. “It flared up on him a little bit a couple weeks ago. So we’re just trying to be really cautious with that. He’s been doing some running on the side, getting treatment, all that. He’s here, he’s locked in. So, just another precautionary measure there.”

Sanders, who signed a four-year, $25.4 million deal with the Panthers last offseason, is coming off one of the NFL’s most disappointing campaigns from 2023. He recorded career-lows in starts (five), attempts (129) and rushing yards (432) while scoring just one touchdown and averaging 3.3 yards per carry—the third-lowest amongst all qualifying players.

His down year gave way to teammate Chuba Hubbard, who rushed for a team-high 902 yards. Sanders may also be giving way to rookie Jonathon Brooks, whom Carolina selected with the 46th overall pick of the 2024 draft.

[lawrence-related id=697961,698005,696964]

Chuba Hubbard named Panthers’ most underappreciated player (again)

Perhaps Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard should be appreciated a bit more.

It might be time to start appreciating Chuba Hubbard.

For the second straight year, NFL.com has named the 24-year-old running back the most underappreciated player for the Carolina Panthers. This time around, it’s content editor Tom Blair singing the praises of Hubbard:

Hubbard made my colleague Cynthia Frelund’s list of underappreciated players last year, but I’m going with him here again because of what he did after that — and because, for the second straight offseason, the Panthers have invested in competition for Hubbard. In 2023, Carolina signed Miles Sanders to a fat new contract, only for Hubbard to end up carrying the ground game (238 carries, 902 rushing yards, five rushing TDs) in his third pro season. He also became the second Panthers running back to top 1,000 scrimmage yards in a season since Christian McCaffrey did it in 2019. This year, they drafted Jonathon Brooks in the second round — but the rookie is coming off a torn ACL. At the least, Hubbard can serve as a reliable option while new coach Dave Canales attempts to straighten out the rest of the offense around Bryce Young.

Hubbard took advantage of a slow start from Sanders, who joined the team on a four-year, $25.4 million deal last spring. The only numbers the Panthers got in return from Sanders, however, were a career-low 432 rushing yards and just one touchdown.

Carolina’s struggling offense would turn to Hubbard less than two months into the campaign. And while the unit didn’t exactly turn things around as a whole, they watched Hubbard lead the Panthers in rushing yards for the second time in his three pro seasons.

[lawrence-related id=697961,697958,697686]

Panthers RB Miles Sanders named top post-June 1 cut/trade candidate

Is Miles Sanders’ time in Carolina already up?

Last offseason, the Carolina Panthers broke out some bills for running back Miles Sanders—agreeing upon a four-year, $25.4 million contract. But is their time together already up?

Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports recently named his top post-June 1 cut and trade candidates. Sanders squeezes into the six-player list following a nightmarish start to his relationship with the Panthers:

A year after signing a top free-agent deal with Carolina, Sanders may well be fighting for backup carries alongside Jonathon Brooks and Chuba Hubbard, even with new coach Dave Canales angling for a stronger run game. Releasing Sanders would save the Panthers an instant $200,000.

Sanders, who had a career year for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022, hit lows in starts (five), attempts (129) and rushing yards (432). He also scored just one touchdown and averaged 3.3 yards per carry—the third-lowest in the NFL amongst all qualifying players.

But perhaps there’s hope for this marriage. Even after being bumped out of the starting duties by Hubbard and seeing the Panthers take the first running back of the entire 2024 draft, Sanders—at least according to president of football operations/general manager Dan Morgan—may still have a place on this team.

“In terms of Miles, we love Miles,” Morgan said after drafting Brooks in April. “We see a big role for him. I think Dave [Canales] will tell you the same thing—we think really highly of Miles, we love Miles. He can do a lot for our offense. He’s versatile in the pass game and he’s a really good runner. So we’re excited about him as well.”

[lawrence-related id=697958,697595,696964]

PFF ranks Panthers’ Chuba Hubbard as NFL’s 28th-best RB

Pro Football Focus gave some props to Carolina’s Chuba Hubbard after a career campaign.

Did anyone have Chuba Hubbard as one of the NFL’s top 32 running backs on their bingo card going into last season?

Well, if you did, mark it off!

Pro Football Focus fantasy contributor Thomas Valentine recently ranked the league’s best 32 rushers heading into the 2024 campaign. In at No. 28 is Hubbard, whose spot on the list certainly wasn’t an expected one around this time last year.

Valentine writes:

Like Singletary, Hubbard was destined to be the backup in Carolina after the team brought in Miles Sanders on a big contract, but Hubbard took on the role of lead back after Sanders struggled to make an impact.

He carried the ball 238 times for a career-high 902 yards and five touchdowns while earning a strong 77.2 grade. Whether or not Hubbard is the starter in 2024 remains to be seen, but his 2023 performance should give him the nod ahead of Sanders.

Sanders, who inked a four-year, $25.4 million deal last spring, ran for 3.3 yards per carry—the third-lowest mark amongst all qualifying players in 2023. Hubbard took advantage of his teammate’s slow start, grabbing the starting job a little over a month into the season and parlaying it into a career-high 902 rushing yards.

Unfortunately for Hubbard, however, that may not be enough to secure his place as a starter once again. The Panthers are likely to feature rookie Jonathon Brooks, whom they selected with the 46th overall pick of the 2024 draft.

[lawrence-related id=695889,697595,697036]