By Zack Sawyer|April 17, 2023
The Carolina Panthers have been my NFL franchise since I become a football fan around the year 2000. To say that it has been a rollercoaster wouldn’t quite cover it. However, we as fans have had it better than a lot of franchises in the league, achieving moderate success in spurts (2 Super Bowl appearances) and overall, I have many fond memories of this team and the players that have passed through Charlotte. One thing that the Panthers have never been accused of is being aggressive in either the trade or the free agency market, mostly relying on solid drafting and a defense-first approach to success. Well, all of that seems to have gone out the window.
Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
In May of 2018, David Tepper, a hot-shot hedge fund manager who made his fortune besting the fast pace, high-leverage world of Wall Street, purchased the Carolina Panthers. By all accounts this is a man who is used to being able to directly manipulate situations for both personal success and the people around him, leading to a self-confidence and conviction in one’s decisions that can result in moves up and down the spectrum from brilliant to disastrous.
What have the Panthers done since he has taken charge? They hold the 5th worst record in the NFL since the purchase (29-53) and they have been quarterbacked by the likes of Cam Newton (washed), Taylor Heinicke, Kyle Allen, Will Grier, Teddy 2 Gloves, PJ Walker (XFL), Sam Darnold, and good ole Baker Mayfield. Does that sound like something a uber successful, alpha businessman is going to be content with? Does he enjoy his interaction with the other billionaires in the owner club knowing that his franchise is either a laughing stock or not even on the radar of the league at large? I doubt it.
Jack Dempsey/Associated Press
Fast forward to early March 2023. We have a trade to announce. The Carolina Panthers have made a deal with the Chicago Bears to receive the 1st pick in the 2023 NFL Draft in exchange for the 9th pick (’23), the 61st pick (’23), a 1st Rd pick (’24), and a 2nd Rd pick (’25) as well as WR DJ Moore, who has been by far the best outside option for this team since he entered the league in 2018. Now that’s a splash move.
For a little context, this is why the trade was made. The right to pick before any other team in the league in a year where although there are many talented quarterbacks, each of them has either a limited ceiling or an obvious, glaring deficiency in some area of their game. As a fan of this franchise, I must admit that my first reaction was what in the hell are we doing? Just like the Panthers to win 5 of their last 8 games, overachieving at an astonishing level in my opinion, and pushing ourselves to the 9th pick of this draft only to compound that reality with dropping this treasure chest, along with our best offensive skill player, to draft one of these quarterbacks that no one is even sure of. Not great Bob. I must also admit that my thoughts remain largely the same but in the spirit of positivity let's go over the possibilities.
Daniel Jeremiah. AP
Bryce Young (ALA) is a fantastic leader, an intangible guy with great feel for the position. If the guy wasn’t 5’10” tall and 195 soaking wet, we would really have something a lot closer to a sure-thing prospect in Bryce.
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
CJ Stroud (Ohio St) is a classic, stand in the pocket, make the right read, don’t do anything terrible, and don’t do anything spectacular QB. With him, you are likely looking at a lower ceiling, higher floor type guy which is not exactly what you want to come to your fanbase with after you gave up the farm for the number one pick.
James Gilbert / Getty Images
Anthony Richardson (FLA) is an athletic freak with a rocket for an arm who only started 12 games in his college career but is 6’4”, 244 lbs, and ran a 4.43 at this year’s NFL Combine. So, we have a Ferrari that has never been road tested and could blow up in lap one, laying waste to anything in its direct vicinity. We also know that there are few things as seductive as a Ferrari tearing through the streets leaving all challengers in its path.
There are a couple of other options that the Panthers could go with, but I think my point is made. They gave away 2 first-rounders, 2 second-rounders, and a top 20 WR in the league for the opportunity at one of these could be great, could be a disaster, players at the most important position in sports. The funniest part about this is that we could look back on this trade years from now with a perennial playoff-performing QB leading the way in Charlotte and say it was all worth it. Conversely, we could be looking at a move that sets the franchise back more than a couple of steps for the years to come. Your guess is as good as mine, and my fingers and toes and ears are crossed.
Comments