Ever since the Carolina Panthers spent their second first-round pick in three years on a running back, they've talked about how they want to use Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams.
The reality is, one of them is likely to be used far more than the other, and the next month is going to determine which one it is.
"By the time that third preseason game hits, we're going to have a good indication of who's what and what we're going to do and who we like in certain situations,"
running backs coach Jim Skipper said Wednesday. "Everybody that has a good pair of eyes will see what's going on."
There are arguments to be made for both players -- artistic and scientific.
Those in the Stewart camp lean on the intangible sense that he's a match for the personality the Panthers want to exude -- big, strong and explosive.
Those who support Williams point to his previous production, his experience and knowledge of what's going on.
Williams served as the precocious understudy the last two seasons, pushing veteran DeShaun Foster when it was becoming clear he offered more burst. The 2006 first-rounder (27th overall) averaged 1.5 yards per carry more than Foster (5.0 to 3.5), but he got 103 fewer carries over the season.
It was similar to the way Foster sat behind Stephen Davis, even after it was becoming clear he was capable of big plays and Davis was wearing down.
Stewart, this year's 13th overall choice, grinned, shrugged and said not much when asked about his potential role -- a wise move for a young player. Williams said he's preparing himself for both outcomes "so there's no disappointment there, whether he comes in and starts or not."
"I've never thought like that,"
Williams said of possibly having a veteran edge. "It's all going to boil down to training camp. I don't think there will be a starter here in Carolina. You take a starting back and he gets 12 carries and you take the guy that's backing him up and he gets 15 carries. Truly, does it matter who starts as long as the productivity is there?"
That's what Skipper's leaning on, the clear implication that the best man is going to win the starting job, although the other's expected to contribute, even if it's in a much smaller role.
The past shows that when the Panthers make that call, the difference becomes clear. In the three seasons in which they've kept both backs healthy, the lead back has gotten at least 53.7 of the team's total carries, while the backup has gotten no more than 31.9 percent. There's been a difference of at least 22.9 percent of the team's carries each year.
Of course, the other three years under coach John Fox were messes of injuries, in which they were often scrambling for any back they could find.
That also plays into the offseason overload, and explains why Skipper's grinning at the bounty of premium backs with which he has to work.
"It's a little bit premature to make a decision,"
he said. "You'll know it when I know it. And that's not really giving you a political answer. That's pure facts. At this level, small things separate guys."
"Let me put it this way -- I'm glad we're having this situation we've got."
Skipper said Williams has impressed him with his general grasp of the system. When he talks about the small things, he means pass protection, recognition of defenses, who has better hands in the passing game. On all those, Williams is earning high marks.
"I think he understands the system a lot better, has more confidence,"
Skipper said. "When you know exactly what you're doing you play with more confidence, and when you play with confidence then your natural ability will come out. He's got confidence in himself and we do too."
"He's not going to make a critical mental error at the wrong time. We can bank on that."
Stewart is in and out of practice in training camp as he recovers from offseason toe surgery. He missed all of the spring work for the same reason, and couldn't attend OTAs because of a league rule. Skipper let him keep his playbook, and talked to him from time to time to keep him thinking about his assignments.
