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With the 49ers, Eagles, and Dolphins shaking up the draft order, the pressure is on for the remaining teams that need a quarterback. The Carolina Panthers are one of those teams, and to continue the series of offseason moves that teams should make, I'm going to talk about why I think they'll fill that void with Sam Darnold of the Jets.
Why Darnold Will Be Available for Panthers In Jets Deal
When the 49ers were looking to trade up in the draft, they reportedly called the Bengals, Falcons, Dolphins, and Jets. They negotiated with the former three teams. The Jets, however, would not bargain with them. They’re locked into that number two pick. The Panthers surely know this.
This tells me the Jets will take Zach Wilson. Wilson is widely considered the second-best quarterback behind Lawrence, and multiple scouts have made the argument that Wilson is even better than Lawrence is.
If the Jets are locked into that number two pick, refusing to trade it, you can bet they’re targeting Wilson. The Panthers are looking at this situation and probably are arriving at a similar conclusion.
“But the Jets said they were going to stick with Darnold!”
Sure, and the Cardinals said they were going to stick with Josh Rosen. The Panthers know better.
The Panthers are Missing One Piece… QB
If the Jets are rolling with Wilson, I would have to assume they trade Darnold away, and there is one team that makes perfect sense to pursue him.
It’s Carolina. The Panthers have the potential to develop an elite offense, so they should be on the horn with the Jets. The receiving duo of Anderson and Moore is stellar. Joe Brady is one of the best coordinators in the league, McCaffrey is McCaffrey. Last year, despite the McCaffrey injury and Teddy Bridgewater refusing to push the ball downfield, the Panthers still finished 8th in yards per drive
But quite simply the Panthers can’t go into week one with Teddy Bridgewater as their quarterback. Their window with Anderson, Moore, and Joe Brady is very small. This could be the last year you get those three all together. That talent is wasted on Bridgewater, who is nothing more than a capable backup.
How Can the Panthers Fill the Void?
So let's look at all the options for the Panthers:
1. Keep Teddy and all their picks
2. Trade up to four and ensure they draft one of Lance/Fields/Wilson/Lawrence
3. Stay at pick 8, use it on Mac Jones
4. Trade the future for Deshaun Watson
5. Trade a day 2 maybe day 3 pick for Sam Darnold, stay at 8
Option 1 is off the table. That’s the one thing the Panthers can’t do.
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Option 2 is fine, but I’m not sure if the Falcons would be willing to do business with a division rival and let them snag a franchise QB. If they were getting similar value from another team, I’d bet they take that instead. The Falcons would have to finesse the Panthers for that deal to get done. Plus, they might just like Trey Lance/Fields and pull the trigger themselves.
Option 3 is meh. Mac Jones doesn’t have elite traits. I’m not sure he’ll elevate the offense to greater heights than Bridgewater can for the Panthers.
Option 4 has several obstacles. I wouldn’t touch Watson with a 10-foot pole right now, and it seems the Texans aren’t seriously listening to offers, anyway. The Panthers can back off here.
Which leaves Option 5. It would be a talent upgrade, it would be cheap, it would be the best-case-scenario for both parties. Darnold would finally receive good coaching and weapons, Carolina would end up with a young talented QB, the Jets would get a fresh start with Zach Wilson. The Panthers would still be able to add an elite prospect at eight. If they could snag Pitts…. Man, that offense would be scary. Surtain would also make a lot of sense.
Would Trading for Darnold Work for the Panthers?
The Panthers would have an advantage in the Darnold “Sweepstakes” as well because they pick early in every single round. Their picks will be ahead of Pittsburgh, Washington, and Chicago every single time. They could certainly beat out those teams in a bid for Darnold. I think his value is about a 3rd round pick.
So ultimately I think that’s the direction the Panthers will go.
Would it work? I’m not sure. Statistically, Darnold has been the worst QB in the league over the last three years.
However, the man tasked with developing him, Adam Gase, is a national joke. He was throwing to Jamison Crowder, Braxton Berrios, and Chris Herndon. The interior offensive line was a total disaster, and the running game was not a threat. Ryan Tannehill was considered a bust in a similar situation under Gase but was able to capitalize on his physical gifts in a much better situation in Tennessee. It’s not unreasonable to think Darnold could at least do better than Bridgewater with the Panthers.
In assessing this situation for the Panthers, the devil they don’t know is better than the devil they do. Darnold may very well not work out, despite the upgrade in the scenery. But the keyword there is “may very well.” With Bridgewater, it is “surely”. If you look at all their options, none of them is a home run, but Darnold is the safest play here.
