CHARLOTTE – When the Panthers drafted Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey eighth overall, many wondered how his arrival would impact running back Jonathan Stewart, Carolina's workhorse runner the past two years.

Stewart was asked recently during OTAs if he was concerned about losing carries with McCaffrey on board. He stiff-armed that question to the ground.

"Who cares? We want to win Super Bowls, right?" Stewart told the Associated Press. "That's the bottom line on why we drafted him. It's not about people getting carries, or people getting touches, or getting touchdowns. It's about what you can contribute to the team."

This all got me thinking about the Stewart-McCaffrey duo and the Carolina running game entering 2017. And I think Stewart is the perfect person to share the backfield with McCaffrey.

I'll give you two primary reasons why.

1. Their styles complement each other

Stewart is a punishing runner between the tackles. The 240-pounder wears defenses down with a power running style.

McCaffrey, while also adept at racking up yardage between the tackles, is the lightning to Stewart's thunder. He's shifty and elusive with game-breaking speed. And, as has been well-documented since draft day, McCaffrey is a dynamic weapon as a receiver.

Call them thunder and lightning; call them whatever you want. But it's obvious there is room for both pieces in one offense.

"It doesn't change Jonathan's role," head coach Ron Rivera said. "We're going to do what we do. (McCaffrey) is a young man who can come in and supplant some of those reps. He's a dynamic player that can do some things Jonathan doesn't do."