Panthers Vet QB options: A snip from the athletic

[WarPanthers89]

Nice write up by the Athletic. I only posted realistic options for the panthers, as they listed multiple QBs that they said were very unlikely such as Rodgers, Wilson, Trubisky etc.

For the record, GM Warpanthers would trade one of our 4th round picks for Minshew, draft a stud LT at pick number 6, and sign a top vet Free agent guard and center. 

From the Athletic:

**Deshaun Watson**

Connections to Carolina: Watson won a national championship at Clemson, which is about a 2 1/2-hour drive from Charlotte. Watson’s QB coach during his first two years in Houston was Sean Ryan, who now has the same role with the Panthers.

Could it happen? Potentially.

The Panthers’ interest in Watson pre-dated his legal issues, which surfaced last winter and involve 22 civil lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct. Though those seem to be inching toward resolution, the Texans’ price for Watson remains high. Houston has wanted at least three first-round picks and a total of five assetsin any deal for Watson, according to The Athletic’s Jeff Howe, who reported the Texans have no plans to reduce those demands. And though the Panthers have only one draft pick in the first 125 or so selections this year, they could follow the Rams’ lead and deal future No. 1s if David Tepper doesn’t mind the public backlash that would accompany Watson. “It all is contingent on the owner saying, ‘Yes, we’re gonna take a chance on this guy,’ because of the charges,” said NFL Network analyst Marc Ross, the former college scouting director for the Giants. “From a football standpoint, anybody would want to be in on Deshaun. But it’s just still, obviously, the other stuff.” Watson’s $40 million hit would eat up a huge chunk of the Panthers’ salary cap and make upgrading the line a little more challenging. But they’d be getting one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks in his prime, albeit one who could be facing a suspension. Watson has a no-trade clause and was reportedly eyeing Miami as his top choice before Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel made a public commitment to Tua Tagovailoa. But there will likely be plenty of other suitors for Watson, including Tampa Bay.

**Kirk Cousins**

Connection to Carolina: Cousins had a pair of huge games against the Panthers in the past two seasons, throwing for 307 and 373 yards with a total of six touchdowns (and no interceptions) in the Vikings’ two victories.

Could it happen? Somewhat unlikely.

It will be interesting to hear what new Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell says about Cousins during Thursday’s introductory news conference for the former Rams offensive coordinator. The two have history: O’Connell was Washington’s quarterbacks coach in 2017, which was Cousins’ last year in D.C. before he signed with Minnesota. In the four years since, Cousins has put up impressive passing numbers, without much in the way of playoff appearances. Helped by a strong running game and the continued excellence of Pro Bowl wideout Justin Jefferson in 2021, Cousins threw for 4,221 yards, 33 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. But the Vikings finished 8-8 and Mike Zimmer was fired. Cousins has a huge, $45 million cap hit this year after a couple of extensions, and an acquiring team would be on the hook for $35 million of that. To facilitate a deal, the Vikings could pay some of Cousins’ salary, like the Panthers did last year with Teddy Bridgewater. But if the Panthers don’t give Cousins a new contract, he could turn out to be a one-year rental.

**Gardner Minshew**

Connections to Carolina: McAdoo was Jacksonville’s quarterbacks coach in 2020 when Minshew started eight games for the Jaguars and had a 95.9 passer rating.

Could it happen: Potentially.

After Darnold injured his shoulder but before the Panthers acquired Matt Barkley and Cam Newton, they called Philadelphia about Minshew, according to Rapoport. The Eagles figure to field more calls this offseason based on how Minshew played in limited action last season. With Jalen Hurts out with an ankle injury in Week 13, Minshew completed 20 of 25 passes for 242 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in a road win against the Jets. Though the 6-foot-1, 225-pound quarterback lacks ideal size and physical traits, an NFC scout said Minshew has terrific instincts and is “sneaky good.” If the Panthers miss out on bigger names, Minshew is a low-cost option they could likely get for a mid-round pick and let compete with Darnold.

**Carson Wentz**

Connections to Carolina: Matt Rhule was Temple’s coach in 2016 when the Eagles drafted Wentz No. 2, prompting a tweet from Rhule at a Pearl Jam concert. Stewart, the Panthers’ VP of player personnel, joined the Eagles’ scouting staff two years later.

Could it happen? Potentially.

The Panthers weren’t interested in Wentz last year before the Eagles shipped him to Indianapolis for a 2021 third-round pick and a conditional 2022 second-round pick that became a first. So why would the Panthers’ thinking be any different this year? Well, they just lived through a season of Darnold interceptions (and injuries), and the asking price for Wentz should be significantly cheaper after he bombed down the stretch for the Colts. ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported the Colts are expected to release or trade Wentz before March 19, when $13.3 million of his salary becomes guaranteed. It should give the Panthers and everyone else pause that Wentz could be playing for his third team in three years. And the Panthers might again pass on Wentz. But expect them to do their due diligence on every available quarterback. Ross is not impressed with most of them. “There’s just not guys that have a fighting chance against the guys we’ve seen in the playoffs … other than Watson,” he said. “He’s always the wild card.”

**Jimmy Garoppolo**

Connection to Carolina: Panthers VP of player personnel Pat Stewart was a college scout in New England when the Patriots drafted Garoppolo in the second round in 2014.

Could it happen? Somewhat likely.

It became fashionable during the playoffs to dump on Garoppolo, whose critics said the 49ers made their playoff run in spite of him, not because of him. And the 30-year-old quarterback is more of a game manager than a superstar. But he’s played in one Super Bowl, came within a game of making another one and finished in the top 10 last season in passer rating, completion percentage and yards per attempt. With the 49ers ready to move on to Lance, last year’s No. 3 pick, a Garoppolo trade will cost interested teams a lot less draft capital than the Watson sweepstakes. An acquiring team would owe Garoppolo a reasonable $25 million in the final year of his deal but might feel compelled to do a new contract. Ross, the ex-Giants personnel official, believes Garoppolo would be an upgrade over Darnold, but that’s about it. “The ceiling for him is what the 49ers did with him,” Ross said. “You’ve gotta build your whole team. You’ve gotta have one of the best defenses in the league. You’re gonna have to run the ball, do everything the 49ers did, and that’s still not good enough because there’s just a ceiling on what he can do for you. Do the Panthers have better elements than the 49ers? I don’t know. Would he be better than Darnold? Yes. But you’re still kinda stuck in that same situation.”

Edited February 22, 2022 by WarPanthers89

[ForJimmy]

Yuck. Maybe Minshew for very cheap, outside of that give me Mariotta or Mitch over those guys. 

[WarPanthers89]

5 minutes ago, ForJimmy said:

Yuck. Maybe Minshew for very cheap, outside of that give me Mariotta or Mitch over those guys. 

It stated in the article that both were unrealistic because Rhule needs to win this season. He would need a QB in a higher tier who can make us a team who can compete for the playoffs 

Edited February 22, 2022 by WarPanthers89

[Mr. Scot]

For the record, Josh Klein confirmed that the story of the Panthers calling the Vikings to ask about Cousins is true.

[Mr. Scot]

FYI on Watson...

From the article:

The presiding judge found a middle ground. For those plaintiffs who have filed criminal complaints, Watson will testify after April 1. For all other plaintiffs, he’ll testify when Hardin is available. (Hardin currently is handling a trial in a different case.)

That’s not ideal for Watson. The things he says while being questioned in the cases filed by plaintiffs who haven’t made criminal complaints could be used by the prosecutor in the other cases, if the prosecutor so chooses. Moreover, Watson’s testimony could prompt the prosecutor to exercise the broad discretion inherent to the job in a way that results in an attempt to secure an indictment on one or more felony charges.

The timeline also makes it harder to trade Watson before other teams begin making decisions about who their quarterbacks will be for 2022. The best seats could be filled before the criminal process ends.

There’s one more important point to keep in mind. Watson doesn’t have to settle all of the cases at the same time. He could try to settle the cases that don’t include criminal complaints, if he wants. However, Buzbee and his clients now have even more leverage, since settlement of those claims becomes the ticket to delaying being questioned under oath until April 1, at the earliest.

[PootieNunu]

13 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

For the record, Josh Klein confirmed that the story of the Panthers calling the Vikings to ask about Cousins is true.

He is probably the best guy we can realistically get. I dont think its the best option, but im talking talent wise. 

No top tier QB is coming here to play under Rhule. 

[Jackie Lee]

Rhule likes Pearl Jam, of course. 

[Ivan The Awesome]

Minshew is the man. He needs to come here and turn this damn team around. His stache alone will play LT. 

[Jon Snow]

1 minute ago, Ivan The Awesome said:

Minshew is the man. He needs to come here and turn this damn team around. His stache alone will play LT. 

If nothing else it would be entertaining. 

[Shocker]

2 minutes ago, Ivan The Awesome said:

Minshew is the man. He needs to come here and turn this damn team around. His stache alone will play LT. 

If he does hide yo women!

[Ivan The Awesome]

Just now, Shocker said:

If he does hide yo women!

Hell if he does, HIDE YOUR MEN TOO!

Edited February 22, 2022 by Ivan The Awesome

[BurnNChinn]

31 minutes ago, Jackie Lee said:

Rhule likes Pearl Jam, of course. 

I knew there was a reason I didn’t like Rhule even though I know he sucks at coaching.

[BurnNChinn]

58 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

For the record, Josh Klein confirmed that the story of the Panthers calling the Vikings to ask about Cousins is true.

[CarolinaRideorDie]

Essentially, our HC is such a dumbass and game planner that he needs a generational talent at QB to save him. Yeah, that seems unlikely. I'm already looking forward to 2023 off season because that's when we can really improve.