CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Ben McAdoo is still getting used to his new team as the offensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers.
He’s still trying to figure out how they’ll run their offense, how they’ll utilize their players, who their quarterback will be and whether he should be announcing the starting quarterback.
When asked in his first press conference since he was hired in February whether Sam Darnold was the starting quarterback, McAdoo said, “Sam is our starting quarterback. Yes.”
A few minutes later he said he shouldn’t have said that.
“One of the things I’ve been working on being better on is talking to you people,” McAdoo said. “So announcing the starting quarterback here, I just put my foot in my mouth. That wasn’t something I should have said.”
That he said Darnold was the starting quarterback doesn’t mean much other than that he would be the starter if the season started today. Darnold and backup P.J. Walker are the only quarterbacks on the roster.
That likely will change soon. The Panthers plan to add another quarterback to the roster — whether that’s via a trade or through the draft. The Panthers hold the sixth pick, and Jimmy Garoppolo and Baker Mayfield could become options if the 49ers or Browns agree to eat part of their contracts.
But McAdoo also insisted he remains a fan of Darnold.
In a 2018 interview with the NY Post, McAdoo said Darnold had some magic to his game.
But he added: “I’d have a hard time drafting a guy in the first round where you don’t necessarily like the way he throws.”
On Tuesday, McAdoo said one of the things that intrigued him about the job was Darnold.
“I do think Sam has some magic to his game,” McAdoo said. “I think he has some athleticism to him.
“We’ve been working the last few days to get up to speed on the offense. And he’s shown flashes of being a good player in the league. Working together, hopefully we can get that to show up more consistently.”
The magic McAdoo was referring to was missing during the last 13 weeks of the 2021 season. After starting the year 3-0 with Darnold as the starter, the Panthers plummeted. Part of that was due to injuries, and part of that was the poor play of the offense.
Darnold was 4-7 as a starter. He threw nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 12 games.
One of the reasons Panthers coach Matt Rhule said he hired McAdoo was because of his history with quarterbacks, and how he helped revitalize Eli Manning’s career when he was offensive coordinator for the Giants from 2014-15.
“There’s a lot of reasons why, maybe the win total wasn’t what you desired last year, and I think Coach Rhule hit it in the meeting this morning,” McAdoo said, “I think the most important thing we can do is take care of the football.
“The ball is king.”
Quarterback remains one of the Panthers’ biggest offseason needs. The Panthers have done their due diligence on quarterbacks Garoppolo and Mayfield. They also attended the pro days and hosted all of the top quarterbacks in this draft, including Malik Willis, Kenny Pickett, Sam Howell, Desmond Ridder and Matt Corral.
Though Darnold may be on the roster — he’s guaranteed $18.9 million for 2022 — there’s a good chance he won’t be the starter by Week 17, as the Panthers search for an upgrade.
McAdoo said his offense will be tailored to whoever is at quarterback. He said he views this draft as deep with offensive linemen. In regards to the quarterback class, he called them more athletic than quarterbacks in the past, with good skill sets.
Most draft experts say this quarterback class is weaker than others. Corral, Pickett and Willis are viewed as the top quarterbacks in this class. Pickett is said to be the most NFL-ready, while Willis is said to have the most upside. Corral is a mix of both.
When asked about his philosophy on evaluating quarterbacks in the draft, McAdoo said he’s a “big swing-for-the-fences kind of guy.”
“So just because you’re ready doesn’t mean you’re going to be the best,” he said. “But ready does factor in some scenarios. Experience obviously helps. The more games you play helps ... But at the end of the day, you’re going to have to pick a player that you’re going to be happy with at that position, hopefully for the next decade. Readiness plays a part, but it’s not everything.”
McAdoo said he doesn’t view Carolina’s situation as a rebuilding effort, and he believes in Rhule and what the Panthers are building.
“I didn’t come here to lose,” McAdoo said. “I believe in ‘the brand,’ I believe in coach’s plan to win. The foundation is there. The wins may not have been there yet, but the foundation is there and I see an avenue to win.”
