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Who are the Panthers all time running backs?

Mol3m4n

By Mol3m4n,
in Carolina Panthers

  

37 members have voted

  1. 1. Whose single season was better?

    • 2008 Deangelo Williams
      22
    • 2003 Stephen Davis
      15

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Mol3m4n Mentor

Mol3m4n

Posted
Posted

With all of the threads about Panthers of the past, it got me wondering if Stephen Davis really was good or not. So I decided to rank the Panthers backs in order. My list includes role, talent, injury, years, importance to the team and franchise, and production.

1. Deangelo Williams- I thought about placing Stewart here, but that will be explained. As much as I can't stand Deangelo sometimes, he is this team's all time leading rusher. He has played for this team since he was drafted and actually had some good years until he fell off the planet.

2. Johnathan Stewart- Stewart was going to be my number one based on talent and production on the field alone. However, a great amount of time riding an exercise bike dropped him to number 2.

3. Stephen Davis- This pick may be nostalgia, but I truly remember Davis being a world beater at one time. He probably had the biggest work load out of any backs on this list. Injuries derailed Davis' career and he doesn't get to spend that long with the Panthers.

4. DeShaun Foster- I'll be honest. I've never been a fan of Foster. He was always very over hyped to me. He won't hold any Panthers records, but he did give several highlight worthy moments that still make me get goose bumps.

5. Brad Hoover- I know that Hoover isn't necessarily a running back. However, he may be the single most loved running back this franchise has ever had. He had a lot of blocking roles that some people wouldn't see, but Hoover was key to a lot of the behind the scenes blocks. He doesn't play a glamorous role, but it was an important one.

Special Recognition- Biakabatuka. I always liked the guy and he has a killer name.

What are your lists?

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TN05 Mentor

TN05

Posted
Posted

I think this warrants two different lists: all-time backs and all-time seasons.

Backs:
1. DeAngelo Williams - I don't think there's any question here. He's the all-time rushing leader, has nearly 7,000 yards and 50 touchdowns while splitting carries with other backs the entirety of his career, has a career YPC of 4.8 (one of the best ever), and has a very low fumble rate. He's a pro who's never once complained about carries despite splitting carries his whole career.

2. Jonathan Stewart - Once again, this is pretty clear-cut. When he's healthy, he's really, really good, and he's gotten nearly 5,000 yards despite being second-fiddle his entire career. He's never complained about playing time or his injuries and has always worked to get better.

3. Stephen Davis - He only had one good year, but dang, that was a good year. He was 3rd in MVP voting for a reason in 2003. It's a shame he was a one-hit wonder, but he was the core of that team.

4. Brad Hoover - It might be cheating to put him this high, but who cares? He's the best blocking back we've ever had and wasn't half-bad when we had to stick him as running back. In 2004 he had two games with the brunt of carries and made the most of it with 63 and 99-yard efforts, and he even had a 100-yard game in 2000 against Green Bay.

5. Nick Goings - You might think the only reason he's here is because DeShaun Foster does not deserve to be on this list, but when Nick Goings had a chance to start, he was pretty good. He was very good down the stretch in 2004 (averaging 99 yards per game in the last seven games), and actually had over 1,200 combined rushing and receiving yards that year. He never really got a shot to contribute after that, but he did good when he had the chance.

 

Seasons:

1. DeAngelo Williams (2008) - This is perhaps the most underrated rushing season in NFL history. While splitting carries with Jonathan Stewart, he gained 1,515 yards and 18 touchdowns while averaging 5.5 yards per carry and not fumbling a single time the entire season. Those are absurd numbers and the fact he missed the Pro Bowl shows how broken Pro Bowl voting is.

2. Stephen Davis (2003) - Probably the most significant season in team rushing history. In only 14 games, he had 1,444 yards (over 100 YPG) and 8 rushing touchdowns. His impact was so significant he finished third in MVP voting, probably the best a Panther has ever finished in that category.

3. Anthony Johnson (1996) - One of the more underrated seasons in team history. Johnson's 1996 season was the only season he ever cracked 1,000 yards, and he did that in only 14 games (he had no carries the first two games). He was consistent enough to make up for the mistakes Kerry Collins made and did well in the playoffs as well.

4. Jonathan Stewart (2009) - On a team that was really bad, Jonathan Stewart really made an impact down the stretch and somehow helped up finish 8-8. 1,133 yards and 10 touchdowns are great numbers, but even better when you consider that he only really started the last three games of the season - and he recorded 440 yards in them. 

5. Nick Goings (2004) - This is another underrated rushing season. This was the only season Nick Goings played a significant role, but he made the most of it. He started the last eight games of the season after literally every other running back on the team was injured, and in those games recorded 733 yards on 172 carries (4.3 yards per carry) and 6 touchdowns, along with 25 receptions for 265 yards. Essentially, over the last eight games Nick Goings was handling the ball 25 times a game and averaged 125 total yards a game, and he only fumbled once in that stretch. That may be the single-most dominant 8-game stretch in team history, and it's a big reason why we were just one win away from a playoff berth.

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