Carolina Panthers: Time To Take a Flier On Eddie Lacy
By Erik Lambert
The Carolina Panthers learned just how important the running game can be to their overall team success, let alone the offense itself.
In 2015, Jonathan Stewart put together a Pro Bowl season with 989 yards rushing. His ability to keep things moving on the ground enabled Cam Newton to have an MVP year and the team to go 15-1. Fast forward to 2016, it was so different. Not only did Stewart miss three games with injury, he was less effective on top of it. The results showed. Everything seemed off for Carolina. The offense wasn’t at peak efficiency and the team collapsed to a 6-10 finish.
With his body wearing down and aging, the time has come for the Panthers to seriously think about finding somebody who can replace Stewart. This begs the question. Why haven’t they considered ringing the phone of Eddie Lacy?
Though he’s dealt with notorious weight problems, the fact is Lacy was never used properly by the Green Bay Packers. He’s always been meant for a system that feeds him the football. The more he gets it, the harder it is on the defense. He loves to pound the rock. Carolina is a system much more his style. They want to run the ball. His price tag is almost certain to be low given his health concerns and a strong draft. Which begs the question Why aren’t they pursuing?
Health concerns aside he has proven to be a load for opponents to handle. Put him in the same backfield as Cam Newton with an offensive approach geared to run and it’s a great match from both perspectives. Perhaps the draft may seem more palatable at this point, but nobody said the Panthers couldn’t go both ways. Lacy wants to run and he wants to win. He may keep the price favorable if the Panthers frame it that way.