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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Last offseason, the Carolina Panthers attempted to trade for then-Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and ended up settling for Sam Darnold in a deal with the New York Jets.
Stafford went on to win the Super Bowl for the Los Angeles Rams. Darnold went 4-7 as the starter for the Panthers.
Now they’ve lost out on a trade attempt for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson after the Panthers were informed Thursday they were out of the running. Since the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints are the two remaining teams, the Panthers will have to face Watson twice a year in the NFC South. Stay tuned there.
So what now?
The only thing that’s clear is Carolina needs a franchise quarterback to fulfill owner David Tepper’s dream of winning a Super Bowl — and Darnold isn’t that.
“If you don’t have a quarterback who can win on his own, the odds of getting to the big game are long, no matter how good you are in other areas,’’ Hall of Fame general manager Bill Polian said during Carolina’s pursuit of Watson.
Trade possibilities
Carolina could pursue a veteran via trade, although none appear to be a long-term solution since Russell Wilson went from Seattle to Denver.
It’s doubtful the Panthers would pursue San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo because he will demand a big salary and is also recovering from shoulder surgery.
Baker Mayfield — the top pick of the 2018 draft, two spots ahead of No. 3 pick Darnold — wants out of Cleveland after the Browns made a run at Watson.
Even if the Browns were willing to trade Mayfield, he would come with an $18.9 million salary cap hit. If not signed to an extension, he would be a free agent again in 2023.
On the plus side, Mayfield wouldn’t cost three first-round draft picks, players…
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Source : espn
