In spite of the fact that the Carolina Panthers still have Cam Newton under center, they opted to take a quarterback in the third round of the NFL Draft this past weekend, selecting West Virginia signal-caller Will Grier with the 100th overall pick.

The Panthers have insisted that Grier's selection has nothing to do with Newton, who has undergone two surgeries on his throwing shoulder since the end of the 2016 campaign.

Former Carolina wide receiver Steve Smith says that the Panthers' decision to go with Grier doesn't necessarily mean that they are looking to replace Newton, noting that depth is important in the NFL.

“Depth is an issue on every team. You've got to have depth, just in case,” said Smith on WFNZ Radio. “Not depth that someone's leaving, but just in case and (for) developmental (purposes). … If the Panthers can develop Will into this good player, all of a sudden he becomes an opportunity to either take over (from Cam Newton) if that time comes, or move on and trade him.”

Smith added that in football, you try to acquire as many good players as you can:

“Teams are trying to do that. That is the new NFL: You get as many players as you can, the ones that don't work out, you keep working with them and then you move on with them,” said Smith. “That's equity. That's how you keep your profit and loss: You try not to lose as many, and the ones you do lose, you try to turn into profit. That's business.”

It has been reported that the Panthers actually had Grier ranked as the top quarterback in the draft, so it only makes sense for Carolina to take him in the third round while he was still on the board.