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The Carolina Panthers are enduring another tough season with their franchise quarterback, Bryce Young. After the Panthers benched Young in favor of Andy Dalton, uncertainty looms about the former No. 1 overall pick's trade market. While Carolina has made it clear they're not interested, one NFL insider, Dianna Russini said on the Scoop City podcast that she thinks differently about that possibility.
“I’m keeping an eye on Bryce Young,” Russini said. “I know teams called the Panthers when they benched him to see if that team would be open to maybe possibly trading right because what is this season about? The resurrection of the quarterback that was trashed to another team that becomes a treasure for a new one.”
Russini makes a valid point. After all, current Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold was in a similar conversation as Young. He was drafted to the New York Jets and didn't perform to expectations. He bounced around from team to team before landing with the Vikings. So far, Darnold has helped them to a 5-1 record and first place in the NFC North.
Going back to Young, he and Darnold were also top draft choices. Both were without a stable offensive line, consistent weapons, and a carousel of coaches. As a result, Darnold had the “bust” label on him. While Darnold has broken the mold, it's too early for Young. Although he was benched, he might've been thrown into the fire too early.
What teams could trade for Bryce Young?
For example, when the Green Bay Packers drafted Jordan Love, they had him sit behind Aaron Rodgers for three seasons. Some teams don't have three years to wait, but that development process is crucial for a young quarterback. Because of that, Love has turned into a premier quarterback in the NFL.
Regardless, teams are likely on the lookout for Young. Teams like the Jets, the Detroit Lions, or the Baltimore Ravens could use a backup like Young. All of these teams have great offensive lines, a balanced offensive approach, and consistent weapons. Russini believes certain teams can use recency bias to score themselves the former No. 1 overall pick.
“I think there’s a lot of coaches and GM’s out there kind of licking their chops going, ‘maybe we can do something with him because remember he scored high in the draft, he went No. 1 overall.'” Russini said. “The Panthers weren’t the only team that had Bryce Young as number one in terms of talent at the quarterback spot.”
Despite the Panthers being clear they won't trade away Young, the NFL has made some serious splash trades in the last two weeks. It might not be surprising to see the Panthers quarterback added to that list.
