It’s already evident, even before the start of free agency, that head coach Dave Canales will help reconstruct the Carolina Panthers in his vision. And that vision could even include a new understudy to quarterback Bryce Young.
On Sunday morning, ESPN NFL insiders Jermey Fowler and Dan Graziano dropped off some last-minute intel ahead of the opening of this year’s negotiating window. The Panthers, of course, were linked to some potentially available wideouts—including Tee Higgins, Michael Pittman Jr., Calvin Ridley and Michael Gallup.
But they were also mentioned in the backup quarterback market, where Fowler wrote the following about Drew Lock:
. . . And watch for Lock in Carolina. He has strong ties to new coach Dave Canales.
Those “strong ties” emanated from their one year together with the Seattle Seahawks. Prior to joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as their offensive coordinator this past season, Canales served as Lock’s position coach out west in 2022.
So if the Panthers are indeed interested in Lock, then where would that leave current second-stringer Andy Dalton?
Dalton, who is easily one of the best backup options in the league, will be entering the second season of a two-year, $10 million pact in 2024. Well, that friendly deal could spark a trade, especially with so many quarterback-needy squads sniffing around for answers.
If a deal goes down and Dalton is designated as a pre-June 1 trade, Carolina—per Spotrac—could save approximately $1.1 million in salary cap space. They can also save some space with a post-June 1 release ($2 million) or a post-June 1 trade ($4 million).
