Jordan

Scarlett

Scarlett, who landed a workout with the Chargers in September as the team struggled with backfield injuries, didn’t take a snap for an NFL team in 2020. He played in nine games for the Panthers in 2019, seeing four carries. Scarlett, 24, was drafted by Carolina with the 154th pick in the 2019 NFL draft. He’s a long shot to make Miami’s roster in 2021.

It’s a bad sign for Justin Jackson’s (quad) Week 2 availability. Scarlett finished 2019 on injured reserve for the Panthers with a knee injury. If he lands a contract, he would be unlikely to spend more than a few weeks on the 53-man roster.

Reggie Bonnafon has been Christian McCaffrey’s backup all season. The Panthers claimed former-Bears RB Mike Davis earlier in November, but he was a healthy scratch in Weeks 11 and 12. We wouldn’t expect a single RB to inherit CMC’s monstrous workload if he were to miss any game action. We have oodles of evidence that no RB in the league is capable of providing the same rushing and receiving threat as McCaffrey, so it seems a bit silly to assume there’s another back on the Panthers that would walk into this same workhorse role.

It is something Scarlett has been battling off and on the past few days. It’s not a huge deal, but Scarlett needs to be out there for the second and third games as he attempts to establish himself as Christian McCaffrey’s direct backup. The Panthers have one of the league’s weakest running back depth charts behind their all-world starter.

He was part of a rash of Panthers draft picks who signed on Thursday afternoon. Scarlett did not test well overall at the Combine, but he showed good straight-line speed (4.47 forty) at 208 pounds and can create yards on his own. The Panthers need a reliable backup behind Christian McCaffrey, and it is likely Scarlett steps into that role.

Scarlett does weigh over 200 pounds, but he might lack NFL athleticism with a profile that puts him in the 3rd percentile. Scarlett lost his entire 2017 season due to a credit card fraud scheme but went on to start 12 of 13 games in 2018, rushing for 776 yards and five scores on 131 carries and adding 10 receptions. The Panthers do not have a firm backup to Christian McCaffrey, so perhaps Scarlett can compete for that role.