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Boone is expected to have a role in the Panthers' offensive game plan for Sunday's contest against the Buccaneers, though Raheem Blackshear in on track to start at running back, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer reports.
The Carolina backfield will be led by a new face for the first time all season, as three-down workhorse Chuba Hubbard (knee/calf) was placed on injured reserve Saturday and will miss the Panthers' final two games. Blackshear has been a fixture on the roster all season, but he's made his mark almost exclusively on special teams as a return man, as he didn't receive his first carries until the Week 16 win over the Cardinals. The 5-foot-9, 190-pound Blackshear was an adept receiver in college and on the few times he's been called upon in that capacity during his three years in the professional ranks, but with an average of just 3.4 yards per carry on 40 totes during his career, the Panthers may prefer to use him in a change-of-pace/passing-down capacity Sunday, despite the fact that he's picking up the start. With that in mind, Kaye relays that he would be surprised if Blackshear ends up getting more touches than Boone, who has bounced between the Panthers' active roster and practice squad for much of the season. At 5-foot-10 and 205 pounds, Boone offers a bit more size as a runner between the tackles and has been much more effective as a ball carrier than Blackshear, averaging 5.1 yards per carry on 111 totes over parts of seven NFL seasons.
