Breer: 'If Tannehill is the QB of the Panthers, They're Okay, Right? It's Not a Bad Roster'
Once again, the Panthers are heading into another season with uncertainty at the game's most important position - quarterback.
Two years ago, Teddy Bridgewater was viewed as a "bridge" to the next face of the franchise. However, the Panthers passed on a quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft and instead, decided to trade three draft picks to the New York Jets in exchange for Sam Darnold.
Many around the league, myself included, felt that getting Darnold out of New York would do wonders for his career. He needed to go to an organization that believed in him, had offensive weapons, and had better coaching. After an abysmal first season with the Panthers, it became clear that a change of scenery may not do anything for Darnold. In the end, he might just be a career backup in the NFL and there's nothing wrong with that.
Carolina has been involved in a number of trade talks this offseason, including a pursuit of Deshaun Watson and negotiations with the Cleveland Browns about Baker Mayfield that date back to the second night of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Since taking Matt Corral in the third round, the Panthers have left the door open for a veteran quarterback. Could it be bringing back Cam Newton again? Maybe a trade finally gets done with the Browns. Or perhaps, they go after Jimmy Garoppolo of the San Francisco 49ers.
Regardless of what head coach Matt Rhule says about the development of Sam Darnold, the team is still heavily interested in adding to the QB room.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated recently discussed on the Dan Patrick Show why the Panthers are still actively looking around for a quarterback.
"If Ryan Tannehill is the quarterback of the Panthers this year, they're okay. Right? The defense is getting better. They drafted an offensive lineman sixth overall. There are skill players like Christian McCaffrey and DJ Moore. It's not a bad roster. The quarterback has just held them back and they believe that getting average quarterback play in 2022 will make them a whole lot more competitive in 2022 than they did the last couple of years. Especially if some of the young guys on defense like a Brian Burns or a Jaycee Horn can develop like they think those guys are capable of."
It's hard to disagree with Breer here and it's something that even GM Scott Fitterer has said before.
The defense was one of the NFL's best a year ago, Christian McCaffrey returns healthy, and the offensive line is completely revamped with the additions of Ikem Ekwonu, Bradley Bozeman, and Austin Corbett. It's not a far-fetched statement to say that average quarterback play could give this team an opportunity to compete for a wild card spot.
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