The Panthers never had a press conference to officially introduce offensive coordinator Norv Turner, so we have not heard much from him.

Tuesday there will be a conference call with reporters, so that is likely to change. For now, we got a small sneak preview of what Turner might be planning for Christian McCaffrey on Monday.

According to team reporter Bill Voth, Turner wants to get McCaffrey the ball in space but does not seem as thrilled about using him as a between-the-tackles rusher.

Here’s the full quote.

To some extent, this is obvious. McCaffrey is more valuable as a receiver rather than a traditional rough-nosed Carolina running back.

Then again, Jonathan Stewart had a brutal 2017 season. He averaged a career-low 3.4 yards per carry and did not have the same burst he used to. If Stewart’s struggles continue in 2018, it may force Turner’s hand to make McCaffrey the go-to guy.

Perhaps the Panthers believe former fullback Mike Tolbert and think Cameron Artis-Payne will have a big year in Turner’s offense. Even if that’s the case, the team would be well-served to use one of its draft picks on a downhill rusher to round out the depth chart at running back.