The Next Two Weeks Are 'Very Important' for Carolina's QB Decision

Carolina needs to know which direction they're going in soon.

NFL free agency begins March 15th, meaning as soon as this week's NFL Combine wraps up in Indianapolis, Carolina Panthers GM Scott Fitterer and head coach Frank Reich will have to start making progress on their decision regarding what they want to do at quarterback. 

They can't afford to not sign a veteran and then not make a move up in the draft and see all four of the top quarterbacks off the board before they are on the clock at No. 9. In one way or another, the Panthers have to make a move. 

"I think there's a lot of different options to look at,' Fitterer said at the combine. "If you want to go that veteran route, that's going to happen a lot earlier and those guys are gone. That's why we're going to take this week to get all the answers we need to get. We've talked to a lot of the young quarterbacks here. But yeah, I think the next two weeks are very important."

If Carolina does indeed sign Derek Carr, then all of a sudden the focus likely shifts to taking a receiver or pass rusher at No. 9. Frank Reich believes there's at least a five-year window with Carr, so taking a developmental project such as Anthony Richardson is probably out of the cards at that point. Re-signing Sam Darnold or signing someone like Jimmy Garoppolo/Jacoby Brissett would signify they are okay with taking a developmental QB.

Should Carolina choose to pass on Carr, then we'll likely see Carolina make some calls to move up to ensure they get the guy that want. So either way, we'll know a lot about the direction Fitterer and co. want to go in within the next two weeks.

"In an ideal world, you always want to draft a quarterback. Draft, develop, and then have that guy here for five, ten years. You want to have that consistency. It helps for many different reasons. Continuity on your roster. For salary cap reasons. There's so many benefits to drafting and developing. That is the right route to go. We'll see if we can get in a position where we can get one of the guys we like. Is there a guy there in the second round? Can we get up in the first round? Those are all the things we're exploring right now."

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