D'Onta Foreman Fits 'Exactly' What the Panthers Were Looking for

GM Scott Fitterer loves the addition of D'Onta Foreman in the Panthers' backfield.

When your star running back plays just ten games in two seasons, as an organization you have to address the matter by adding some insurance. The Panthers checked that box this offseason with the signing of free agent running back D'Onta Foreman.

Foreman exploded onto the scene and onto NFL Scouts' radar during his junior season at Texas in 2016. His downhill, physical running style was too much for defenses to handle, consistently running through defenders and shedding tackles. That season, he rushed for 2,028 yards and 15 touchdowns on 323 carries. The Longhorns literally ran the entire offense through him as he averaged 29.4 carries per game. 

His ability to take on a massive workload could be beneficial to a team like the Panthers if something were to happen to Christian McCaffrey yet again. Chuba Hubbard showed some flashes during his rookie season, but he's still growing as an NFL back and that transition may take some time.

Sure, he put up great numbers in his final season at Texas. But what about his time in the NFL? Well, it's been a bit of a bumpy road that has been filled with time on the IR and PUP list early in his career to bouncing back and forth from the practice squad to the active roster. It wasn't until this past season that Foreman was afforded an extended opportunity and boy did he run with it. 

In nine games (three starts), Foreman rushed for 566 yards and three touchdowns on 133 carries. With Derrick Henry missing several weeks, many assumed the Tennessee offense would unravel. Instead, the offense ran as smooth as ever and they went on to clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC with Henry watching from the sidelines. Foreman ran hard and, to be honest, if you took the name and number off the jersey, there were moments where he resembled the vicious punishment that Henry would impose on wimpy tacklers.

According to Panthers GM Scott Fitterer, Foreman could be a big help in finishing off games better in 2022. Carolina had a difficult time moving the football and scoring in the second halves of games a year ago, large in part to an insufficient running game. 

"I'm excited about what he brings. Last year, we had three explosive backs and I think we needed someone with a little more power, a little more size. That will compliment us with Christian's running style and when we need to finish games. When it's 3rd & 1, we can put the big body in and wear guys down and push the pile. That was an emphasis going into it was adding that bigger back. When you go back and look at what D'Onta did last year, I think he fits the mold of exactly what we're looking for."

The addition of Foreman will also allow the Panthers to do a lot of different things with McCaffrey, such as lining him up in the slot, on the outside, and heck, there may be some instances where both McCaffrey and Foreman are on the field together in the backfield which will keep defenses guessing. 

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