Saquon Barkley rumors: 5 best fits in free agency

Top Free Agent Fits For Saquon Barkley – Carolina Panthers

Like its NFC South rival Atlanta, the Panthers are a team that has placed a lot of importance on its rushing attack. Carolina began last season with star Christian McCaffrey as its starting running back before dealing him to the San Francisco 49ers for a bounty of draft picks.

The decision to move on from McCaffrey didn’t hurt Carolina’s running game as the duo of D’Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard put up extremely productive numbers over the course of the season. Foreman, however, is a free agent while Hubbard may be best served as a No. 2 back instead of shouldering the load.

Signing Barkley would allow the Panthers to focus their draft assets on acquiring their franchise quarterback, a pursuit the franchise has been undergoing since Cam Newton’s rapid decline. Any young quarterback would benefit from having weapons around him and few weapons on the market are a better fit for Carolina than Barkley.

New head coach Frank Reich can also appeal to Barkley since he ran an offense that made Jonathan Taylor the NFL’s leading rusher in 2021. An above-average offensive line is already in place in Carolina so Barkley could thrive if he takes his talents to Charlotte.