find a running back to pair with Christian McCaffrey. Is James Williams the right fit for that role?"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Keep Sounding PodcastPanthers 2019 NFL DraftCSR Film RoomCarolina Panthers Film RoomPanthers 2019 NFL DraftFilm room scouting report on Washington State running back James WilliamsNew Christian Miller Baltimore Ravens Jersey ,28commentsThe Panthers have said they’d like to find a running back to pair with Christian McCaffrey. Is James Williams the right fit for that role?ESTShareTweetShareShareFilm room scouting report on Washington State running back James WilliamsKirby Lee-USA TODAY SportsJames Williams was a three year starter at Burbank High in Burbank, California. He was a consensus three star recruit according to Rivals and ESPN. Williams was a three year starting running back for Mike Leach’s Air Raid scheme. He finishes his career with 1539 rushing yards, 1437 receiving yards, and 27 total touchdowns. Williams’ athletic performance at the NFL Combine placed him in the 37.2nd percentile according to SPARQ. Film reviewA common comparison for James Williams is New England running back James White. Given the importance of the passing game in today’s NFL, finding a running back who can add value as a receiver is critical. Williams made his name in Mike Leach’s scheme in this role. As a runner, Williams is just as effective. The first thing that stands out is how nonchalant he is when contact arrives. He is not only elusive, but his strength not to go down on first contact is intriguing. Williams might not have similar burst to some of the top prospects, but he has ideal fluidity and change of pace to run through holes.Williams didn’t run a diverse set of routes for the Cougars. He typically found himself open on swing routes and Texas (angle) routes, which are staples of the route tree for the Panthers’ running backs. More often than not, Williams made his money on lead draw concepts. Of course the holes on each of these runs is sizable, but executing many of these runs also helps his transition. This ties it full circle with his comparison to James White. White also happens to be a productive receiver Greg Olsen Jersey 2019 , but he has been useful on lead draw run concepts. Plays like this are how Williams should be utilized at the next level. He might not have 3 down ability, but his elusiveness, ability to run after contact, and his contributions in the pass game make him an appealing prospect.Fit with CarolinaRon Rivera has mentioned that the Panthers want to find a running back this off-season to take the pressure off Christian McCaffrey. After the C.J. Anderson missed opportunity in 2018, they have to make sure they don’t fumble another chance to find a compliment for their 2017 first round pick. Williams would be an ideal partner for McCaffrey. He adds value on third downs and is an effective runner in certain situations. Williams already understands how to run Texas routes, which are important in Norv Turner’s scheme. The Panthers need to address the running back position, but they shouldn’t pay a premium. Williams will likely be available on day 3 of the draft and that’s where Carolina should consider him. The Panthers are currently lacking depth at defensive tackle, a position that requires a rotation of large men to eat blockers and collapse the pocket. Where’s the Love?" Carolina Panthers free agency 2019All out of love? Why the Panthers should re-sign veteran DT Kyle LoveNew,44comments The Panthers are currently lacking depth at defensive tackle, a position that requires a rotation of large men to eat blockers and collapse the pocket. Where’s the Love?EDTWhile general manager Marty Hurney has done a commendable job thus far in free agency shoring up the Panthers weak spots, there is one player from Carolina’s 2018 roster who is still a free agent and should probably be brought back into the fold. That man — and that marvelous belly — is defensive tackle Kyle Love.The Panthers defensive tackle situation today is less than ideal. Kawann Short is a beast and coming off his second Pro Bowl season Blue Greg Olsen Jersey , so no concerns there. Dontari Poe was a big-money free agent signing in 2018 but didn’t have the impact many of us had hoped for (17 tackles, one sack, three quarterback hits). Vernon Butler hasn’t lived up to his 2016 first round draft pick status with just 45 career tackles and two sacks in 38 largely ineffective games. The only other defensive tackles currently on the roster are Woodrow Hamilton and Elijah Qualls.Depth is always needed at defensive tackle because players are rotated out so frequently to catch their breath. The position is often a four-man rotation where even the third and fourth players on the depth chart play a lot of snaps. In 2018, for example, Kawann Short played in 59 percent of Carolina’s defensive snaps while fellow starter Dontari Poe played in 52 percent. Filling in the gaps were Love with 47 percent and Butler with 33 percent. The defensive tackle position normally requires four capable players, and as of today the Panthers only have two in Short and Poe. All eyes will be on Butler in 2019 with the hope he has a breakout season and avoids the “first round bust” label, but if that doesn’t happen then the Panthers are shockingly thin at defensive tackle.Kyle Love has proven to be a capable rotational player with a reasonable cap hit during his five season season in Carolina. He just completed a two-year, $2.2 million contract and remains a free agent so my assumption is he could be signed to a deal somewhere near the $1.1 million he made on his last last contract, but that’s just speculation on my part. While the Panthers have limited cap space, that’s not a bad cap hit for a proven veteran who can be counted on to play nearly half of then team’s defensive snaps. And as far as the cap goes, there’s a certain wide receiver with a $5.0 million cap hit who can still be released before the season to free up some additional funds (Torrey Smith Kawann Short Jersey 2019 , I’m looking in your general direction.)It’s hard to assess how productive defensive tackles are by just looking at traditional stats like tackles and sacks so let’s look at how both Pro Football Focus and Pro Football Reference graded the Panthers defensive tackles in 2018. PFF was high on Love as his 77.3 grade ranked No. 31 among interior defensive linemen. This puts Love behind Short (83.7) but ahead of Poe (69.0) and Butler (63.5). On the other hand, Pro Football Reference gave Love an Approximate Value (AV) of 2 in 2018, which isn’t good.This trailed both Short (8) and Poe (6), but once again put him ahead of Butler (1). At age 32 Love’s best years are probably behind him, but the Panthers should be in win-now mode and can prioritize production over youth in some cases. Plus, Love has shown no signs of slowing down. In fact, PFF named him as the Panthers most improved player of 2018. The big guy still has some gas left in the tank.Because the Panthers have more pressing needs to address in the draft than defensive tackle, bringing Kyle Love back on a reasonable deal makes a lot of sense to me. He would provide capable depth at a position that will always need it, all without breaking the bank. What’s not to love about that?