Panthers news: Ron Rivera wouldn't be surprised to see Christian McCaffrey reach 200 carries this year

New offensive coordinator Ron Rivera of the Carolina Panthers sees running back Christian McCaffrey getting a sizable workload coming out of the backfield.

Heading into his second year in the NFL, Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey has quickly emerged as one of the promising young talents at his position. The departure of longtime starter Jonathan Stewart has opened the door for the opportunity for him to grab a larger role within the offense.

The Panthers have acquired C.J. Anderson via free agency to help with providing more stability and production in the running game, but that hasn't deterred head coach Ron Rivera from his belief that McCaffrey could top 200 carries in the 2018 campaign, according to David Newton of ESPN.

He'll play a major part in the offense after the release of Jonathan Stewart. The addition of C.J. Anderson, who rushed for 1,007 yards last season in Denver, will give Turner a nice change-of-pace option. But coach Ron Rivera told ESPN.com he wouldn't be surprised if McCaffrey reached 200 carries in his second year after having only 117 a year ago. The staff is confident McCaffrey can run between the tackles, as he did at Stanford. McCaffrey has bulked up about five pounds to 210 to be better prepared for the pounding. Exactly what his mix of runs versus receptions will be after leading the team with 80 catches a year ago is something to keep an eye on.

In his rookie campaign, McCaffrey had 117 carries for 435 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns in a secondary role in the running game behind Stewart last season that saw him break 60 rushing yards three times. However, he had proven to be most effective in the passing game as a receiving option out of the backfield as he set franchise rookie records in scrimmage yards (1,086) and receptions (80) last year.

This uptick in usage could determine if he can handle a larger workload in the running to see if he can become an all-around primary workhorse running back. He has shown he has the playmaking ability, but that has yet to show in a great capacity in the running game as he had double-digit carries on three times while going no higher than 15 attempts in a single game.

Although Rivera sees McCaffrey taking up a bigger role in the running game, the Panthers will likely heavily lean on Anderson to provide some production in that aspect while not wanting to burn out the second-year tail back. If there is anything to take away from these comments is that Carolina will rely more on the Stanford product in 2018.