3 Bold Predictions for Sam Darnold's First Season in Carolina
This offseason, the Panthers made a change at the most important position on the football field by acquiring Sam Darnold from the New York Jets, then trading 2020 starter Teddy Bridgewater to the Denver Broncos.
Darnold was drafted 3rd overall by New York in 2018 but never had the resources to be successful and develop into a reliable starting quarterback. The jury is still out on whether or not Darnold can still be a franchise quarterback but with good coaching, elite weapons, and a boost in morale, anything is possible.
What exactly are the Panthers getting in Sam Darnold? That's a hard question to answer. He may continue to struggle as he did in New York and the trade ends up being a dud. Or, he flourishes in Carolina and brings the Panthers back to relevance. Since it's too early to tell which end of the spectrum Darnold will be on, I decided to layout three bold predictions for what I believe could happen in 2021.
Darnold guides Panthers to winning season
Many NFL experts still see the Carolina Panthers being one of the worst teams in the league heading into the 2021 season and much of that has to do with the overall youth and inexperience of the roster. I'm not buying it. Carolina's defense steadily improved week to week last season and there was not nearly as much talent on that side of the ball as there will be in 2021.
On the offensive side, I'm expecting similar production from the unit as a whole but with improved play at the quarterback position. Teddy Bridgewater really struggled to throw the ball down the field and with accuracy. Joe Brady had to resort to a dink and dunk type of offense, making it difficult for the Panthers to regularly hit big plays. When you have a receiver like Robby Anderson, you have to be able to take advantage of his skill set and throw the ball downfield. Now that Darnold is in the fold, it's no longer an issue. Arm strength is one of Darnold's best traits and those two connected quite often during their time in New York.
From a schedule standpoint, this is a very favorable start for Carolina. If they can rattle off five to six wins early, it will set them up to be in a spot to not only record a winning season but maybe even a shot at a Wild Card spot. They have a brutal end to the year facing the Bills, Saints, and then the Buccaneers twice. There's a strong chance that Carolina goes 0-4 in that stretch or maybe 1-3. This just means Darnold and company will have to do a lot of damage early in the season which I believe they are capable of.
The PFWA will name Darnold the NFL's Most Improved Player
We all know how bad Darnold's time was in New York but you can't really blame him for his failures. That should be on the Jets for not giving him the weapons, protection, or even a competent coaching staff to surround him. As NBC's Chris Simms said in regards to Darnold's situation in New York, "if you're surrounded by s***, you're going to look like s*** every now and then."
Fortunately for Darnold, he is no longer surrounded by s***. He has one of the league's most talented running backs in Christian McCaffrey and two young, dynamic receivers (DJ Moore & Robby Anderson) to his arsenal. Darnold's confidence was glowing at OTAs and minicamp and even Anderson took notice. "When I walked in the building, I see like a new energy out of him [Darnold]. Like a glow that I didn't really see in New York. I can view a difference in him so far."
Starting over is what saved Ryan Tannehill's career and it could very well be the same for Sam Darnold. He is now in an organization that wants to win, is putting in the effort, and has full belief in him being the guy for the long haul. Having that much support will give Darnold a whole new level of confidence that he's never had before in the NFL and in turn, will make him a much better quarterback.
Joe Brady hets a head coaching opportunity due to Darnold's turnaround
After just one season as the Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator, Joe Brady already began popping up on the radar of other teams to become a head coach. He went through a couple of interviews but it never seemed like he was a favorite to land any of the league's openings.
What Brady did last year with average quarterback play is pretty fascinating if you think about it. He has two receivers go over 1,000 yards (Moore, Anderson) and another (Curtis Samuel) go over 1,000 all-purpose yards. The offense continued to find success despite the absence of injured running back Christian McCaffrey as Mike Davis filled in and played well above expectations.
Hypothetically speaking, Joe Brady could be hired as a head coach as early as next offseason if he is able to do wonders with Sam Darnold. The outline of the story is already in place, and now, it just needs to happen. Darnold goes from a terrible situation with no help to a great situation in Carolina, gets coached up by one of the game's most young, brilliant minds and resurrects his career to become a solid franchise quarterback. If Brady is able to take Darnold to that next level in just one year, there's no doubt about it, he will be given a head coaching job somewhere.
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