PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Panthers have tried desperately to fix their quarterback situation this offseason.
They went hard after Deshaun Watson. And now, two weeks after failing to secure the former Houston quarterback, they remain at square one with few options remaining.
What does that mean? There’s a strong chance Sam Darnold will be the starting quarterback for Carolina in Week 1 next season.
The thought of that — to some observers— may seem scary. He was not good last year, throwing nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 12 games, and was 4-7 in 11 starts.
When the Panthers, Falcons and Saints missed out on Watson, Carolina was the only team to not sign a quarterback in free agency. The Falcons added Marcus Mariota, while the Saints re-signed Jameis Winston.
Ideally, Carolina would like to find an upgrade at quarterback. But with the free-agent market having dried up, and there being few trade options — Jimmy Garropolo and Baker Mayfield are the best available — a veteran upgrade is becoming less likely.
The Panthers have only two quarterbacks on the roster. They’ll add another at some point.
As it stands now, Darnold is the projected starter.
There is a belief within the organization that new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo can help Darnold. Back in 2014, as offensive coordinator of the Giants, he helped revitalize Eli Manning’s career.
Manning went from throwing 18 touchdowns and 27 interceptions in 2013 to 30 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 2014.
“I think Sam is going to play significantly better football,” Panthers coach Matt Rhule said Tuesday. “I thought at the end of the year when he came back, we didn’t play great in those games as a team, but I thought Sam played much better. Obviously, I hired Ben McAdoo with the belief that Ben would elevate the passing game.”
Darnold suffered an injury in Week 9 and missed five consecutive games. He returned in Week 16, and threw two touchdowns and two interceptions in three games.
While the Panthers are still considering taking a quarterback in the 2022 draft, they haven’t made up their minds yet.
The consensus among draft experts is that the top quarterbacks in draft class may need time to develop. If the Panthers do draft a quarterback, they may choose to sit him instead of playing him immediately.
There’s also the chance that the one quarterback they prefer could be off the board by the time they pick at No. 6. The New York Giants have the fifth and seventh picks, and they will most certainly trade one of those to a quarterback-needy team hoping to acquire more assets.
Atlanta at eight, Seattle at nine and Washington at 11 are all candidates to trade up and take a quarterback. If the Panthers’ favorite quarterback is gone, they’d likely trade back or choose the best player available.
Bringing back Cam Newton is also still under consideration, but general manager Scott Fitterer on Friday, and Rhule on Tuesday, said it would have to be a fit for both parties.
“I love Cam Newton,” Rhule said. “I think he’s an amazing leader. Obviously, I think he’s an amazing football player. So everything that we do has to be right for the both organization and right for him.”
In other words, Newton would not be given the starting role. He would have to compete for it. And that seems unlikely.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Tuesday — around the time Rhule was talking at his press conference — that Newton texted him and said there have been teams who have expressed interest in signing him.
“I am waiting on the best fit as it pertains to winning a championship and getting a fair chance to play,” Newton reportedly texted Schefter.
Their options are shrinking. And while the Panthers will definitely add a third quarterback, the idea that Darnold could be the starting quarterback Week 1 is becoming a reality.
Overtime rules changed
The NFL is changing its postseason overtime rules for next season, the league announced at the owners’ meetings.
The owners approved a resolution that would allow both teams to have possession of the ball in overtime in the postseason. The previous rules had a game end after the first score, as long as that score wasn’t a field goal on the first possession by the team that received the opening kickoff of overtime. Last year, the Bills lost in overtime in a shootout to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs scored a touchdown on the first drive of overtime, ending the game without the Bills touching the ball on offense.
The rule won’t apply to the regular season.
Before the resolution was adopted, Rhule said he was in favor of the proposal to allow both teams to have a chance on offense. He pointed to the Panthers’ loss to the Vikings last season in overtime. Darnold went on an 11-play, 96-yard drive to tie the game and send it to overtime in the game’s final seconds.
The Vikings won by scoring a touchdown on the first drive of overtime.
Panthers to have a joint practice with Patriots
The Patriots will host the Panthers for a joint practice in August, The first Observer reported Tuesday morning. Rhule later acknowledged the practice in his press conference.
Rhule has long admired Patriots coach Bill Belichick, and has talked about making Carolina a “serious football place.”
“Any time we have a chance to work against another team, it’s great,” Rhule said. “But especially against that team ... I’m excited about it.”
