Panthers coach Ron Rivera said Artis-Payne will have the opportunity to replace Jonathan Stewart as the team's power back, ESPN.com's David Newton reports.
A 2015 fifth-round pick, Artis-Payne has taken 99 carries for 422 yards (4.3 average) and four touchdowns in 23 career games, with most of that work coming in contests Stewart missed. The Panthers haven't signed a replacement since losing the 31-year-old to the Giants in free agency, and they probably won't prioritize running backs early in the draft after using the No. 8 overall pick on Christian McCaffrey last year. The likeliest plan features McCaffrey getting a sizable uptick from last year's 117 carries (7.3 game), dominating passing downs while splitting early down work with Artis-Payne or another player. Barring an injury to his more talented teammate, Artis-Payne would have a tough time matching Stewart's total of 198 carries (in 15 games) from last season. It also won't come as any surprise if the Panthers bring in competition during the middle rounds of the upcoming draft, or perhaps in the late stages of free agency.