Bucking the NFL trend appears to be the norm for the Carolina Panthers. 

As football pundits continue to claim the game is moving away from running the ball, Carolina is pushing in the opposite direction. 

With names like Miles Sanders and Chuba Hubbard on the roster, and the Panthers electing to draft a running back in Jonathon Brooks in the second round, it's clear that the Panthers have a modus operandi. On Friday, at rookie minicamp, head coach Dave Canales finally went on the record about it. 

After reporters asked about Brooks, Canales had a simple answer as to why he has a spot on the team. 

"The intent of our offense is to run the ball," Canales said. 

Dave Canales speaks to the media https://t.co/JqRglAGj1Q

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) May 10, 2024

In an offseason that has been littered with word of making life for second-year quarterback Bryce Young easier, Canales is taking a stand for how he intends to operate the offense: run-first. 

He has the stable of running backs for it. 

Recently, the Panthers agreed to a deal with veteran running back Rashaad Penny. Canales still has Hubbard and Miles. He will now have to work in Brooks. If Carolina plans to run the ball as the new-look Panthers coach expects, he will need the bodies in the backfield. 

And that is good news for Young. 

An effective run game will take the pressure off Young to make plays on nearly every down with his arm like he was asked to do far too soon during the 2023 season.

In the NFC South, where it feels like no team is ever truly out of contention for a division crown, a solid run game could be the secret to the Panthers' success in the 2024 campaign.  

Carolina Panthers release former Pro Bowler in a flurry of roster moves at the start of rookie minicamp

With rookie minicamp underway Friday, the Carolina Panthers made a flurry of roster moves that resulted in seven players being released.