What Should the Panthers Do at Quarterback? Examining All of the Options
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The Carolina Panthers have their head coach in Frank Reich. After they assemble the coaching staff the focus will turn to finding a quarterback.
Carolina has started five different quarterbacks over the last three seasons - Teddy Bridgewater, P.J. Walker, Sam Darnold, Cam Newton, and Baker Mayfield. The defense is built to win now. The offensive line is built to win now. It just comes down to adding a couple playmakers at the skill positions and landing a franchise quarterback.
How will the Panthers find their quarterback of the future? Who could that be? Let's break it down.
Current QBs on the roster
Matt Corral - Offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo fell in love with Corral's quick release but knew he would be a bit of a project that would take some time. Unfortunately, he suffered a Lisfranc injury in a preseason game against New England, forcing him to sit out his entire rookie year. Because of it and a coaching staff change, you'd have to imagine the likelihood of him being QB1 is minimal. Those types of injuries are hard to come back from and after he spent his first year sitting and learning the offense, he'll have to scrap that and learn something completely knew. He's a good option to have on the roster, especially if he can continue to learn behind a veteran.
Jacob Eason - Carolina just needed to add someone to the quarterback room, so they did so by bringing back Jacob Eason. Interestingly enough, Eason will have a small leg up in the competition if he's still around by the time training camp arrives. Reich drafted him out of Washington back in 2020 and spent two years with him in Indianapolis. He's not going to be vying for the starting job but is definitely someone that could be in the mix for a backup/practice squad spot.
QBs that could come back
Sam Darnold - Carolina didn't get what they thought they would, which was an answer at QB, when they traded three draft picks for Darnold. He was horrendous in 2021 and an ankle injury kept him out for the first half of the season this year. However, he did look the most confident/comfortable he has been since entering the league during the six week stretch of games that he started. If Carolina goes the route of drafting a quarterback in the first round, Darnold would be a very good option to bring back as a "bridge" guy. In my opinion, that's the only way he returns to Carolina.
P.J. Walker - Much like Eason, Walker has some familiarity with Frank Reich's offense, having spent time on the Colts practice squad for parts of three seasons. After what he did this past season, it's safe to say that Walker will be targeted by several teams to come in as a backup. Will Carolina have any interest in bringing him back with potentially two QBs on a rookie contract? Or one on a rookie contract and another veteran? Probably not. There's a small chance Walker sticks around, but I anticipate that he'll end up elsewhere.
Trade up in the draft
Bryce Young - According to many scouting experts, Young is QB1 of the 2023 draft class. There are concerns about his small frame of 6'0", 194 lbs and whether or not he can take the beating/see over the line. He's a talented prospect but I'm not so sure he's worth the risk of what it would take to get up to No. 1 overall to select him. In my opinion, there are better options.
C.J. Stroud - I'm not high on this quarterback class in general. But if you want my opinion, this is QB1 of the class and it's really not even close. This kid is a natural born winner and can beat you with his arm and legs. If you want to know why he's the top quarterback in the class, all you have to do is just turn of the Georgia tape. To complete 23-of-34 passes for 348 yards and four touchdowns against a defense that features a lot of NFL talent is impressive.
Draft a QB at No. 9
Will Levis - I don't get the hype with Levis. I'm sorry, I just don't. The kid doesn't move the needle for me. He's way to erratic in the pocket, makes some really poor decisions and is too inconsistent. Some have compared Levis to Josh Allen and while understand the thinking behind it, I just don't see it. He may go top five just because of team's being desperate but there's no way the Panthers should move up for him. If he's still there at 9, maybe. Even then, I would suggest they go in a different direction.
Anthony Richardson - This is the boom/bust talent in the draft right here. Super raw, yet full of potential. The first thing Panthers fans will think of when turning on his highlight reel is Cam Newton. 6'4", 230-pound QB that can run better than any QB in the class and has arguably the strongest arm. The downside with him is his accuracy in all three levels of the passing game, particular intermediate throws. Wouldn't be a bad idea to roll the dice with him at No. 9, especially with Frank Reich at the helm. That said, this would probably mean Carolina looks to add a veteran to the mix as well.
Grab a veteran in free agency
Lamar Jackson (?) - No one knows what's going to happen with Lamar and the Ravens and in my opinion, I think they eventually agree to a long-term contract. If not, he could certainly be an option but he's going to come with a hefty price tag and honestly, it's just not in the Panthers' best interest. I get the appeal to a player of his caliber, but you're better off trying to find that answer in the draft with a guy on a rookie contract.
Jimmy Garoppolo - San Francisco wanted to move off of Jimmy G earlier in the year but ended up having to start him following the injury to Trey Lance. Now with the late season surge by 7th-round pick Brock Purdy, it feels very unlikely that Garoppolo will be back in the Bay. Depending on how much money he's wanting, this could be a good option for Carolina if they want to draft and develop a QB. He wasn't asked to do much in San Francisco and would have a similar situation here in Carolina with a really good defense. He's not flashy, but he gets the job done and wins games.
Trade for a veteran
Derek Carr - It's a matter of when the Raiders will trade Carr, not if. There will be a handful of teams that are interested in acquiring the veteran quarterback. Although he would be an upgrade over what Carolina has had at the position, I don't believe it makes sense to trade for a guy that will be owed $40+ million in two of the next three seasons.
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