Steve McNair, Kerry Collins and Jim Kelly

[Mr. Scot]

Scott Fowler indulges in a bit of "What if": McNair could have been a Panther

Fowler believes that Steve McNair would have been more successful as Panthers QB than Kerry Collins (not exactly a huge stretch) and also that, by extension, the Panthers would have had more success. He doesn't get into a lot of specifics, but that's the basic conclusion.

We know the history. At the 95 Draft, the Panthers traded down from number one to number five and acquired more picks. They were confident that no one ahead of them would take Collins. Of the teams above them, only the then Houston Oilers (now Tennessee Titans) had a major need for a QB. The expansion Jaguars had secured both Steve Beuerlein and Mark Brunell, and it was universally believed that the Oilers would draft McNair. Thus, Collins was sure to be a Panther.

But there was almost a glitch. When the Oilers were on the clock, a rumor sprouted that they had decided to take Collins instead. ESPN reported the story in their draft coverage, and one source described the reaction in the Panthers war room as "panic". A Panthers source was quoted as saying that the team "had a backup plan" but hoped they wouldn't have to use it.

And in the end, they didn't. Whether that backup plan was McNair or something else, we'll likely never know.

As expected, the Oilers took McNair. The Panthers took Collins, and the rest is history.

Fowler's article echoes what's been said elsewhere, that Panthers GM Bill Polian was sold on Kerry Collins over McNair. Not mentioned is one apparent reason: the run of success that Jim Kelly had with the Bills.

Polian believed Collins was the next Jim Kelly. In post draft interviews from 95, Kelly's name came up more than once when Polian talked about Collins. Of course, that didn't happen. Collins has had what could be termed a respectable career, but his time in Carolina was something less than what the team hoped for when they drafted him.

Collins over McNair was one of two early decisions made by Panthers leadership that would come back to haunt them in a big way. The other was the choice of runningback Tshimanga Biakabutuka over Eddie George (who ironically joined McNair with the Oilers/Titans). Polian memorably declared at the time that his concerns about Biakabutuka's health were "none". McNair and George joined together to make the Titans a contender while the Panthers, after one good season, sunk largely into mediocrity and stayed there until the arrival of John Fox.

Had those two decisions gone differently, how different would Panthers history have been?

Unknown, but it's fun to speculate.

[AKPantherFan]

counterfactual speculation..... waste of time IMO......

[Jangler]

Couldn't we have been the Carolina Cobras, at one point? Red and Gold.....that would have been kewl.

No disrespect intended Mr. Scot. Oh wait, you're the other guy.

[Mr. Scot]

League wanted us to take purple as a color. I remember that much.

There was a pretty big debate at the time over whether the Panthers or the Oilers were taking the right approach with their QBs. I favored the Oilers approach of holding him back rather than throwing him into the fire immediately.

It could be argued that this was what messed up Collins.