By: Jake Rajala

The Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton has been one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks over the past decade. The energetic and workhorse QB was the 2011 Offensive Rookie of The Year, 2015 MVP, and he’s made three Pro Bowls in his career. Newton has collected a 75-68-1 record in his career, 194 passing touchdowns, and 5,628 rushing yards in his NFL tenure.

Newton is well regarded as arguably the most unique quarterback and dynamic football player of all time. Although, Newton hasn’t tasted top-end success over the past few seasons. Since 2017, Newton hasn’t registered a winning season and he hasn’t been a quality QB in each of the past few seasons.

The former Panthers QB will be remembered as a special QB, but will he go down as a legendary, future Hall of Fame QB? I believe Newton would not be a future HOF QB if he retired today.

Let’s take a look at QBs that played beyond the year 2000 and earned a spot in the Hall of Fame. Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, and Kurt Warner are the recent prolific signal-callers that have made it into the Hall of Fame. It’s safe to say that Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and Aaron Rodgers will go into Canton, as well. If Newton was compared to these QBs, it would not look well for him.

Brees is Top-2 in passing yards and passing touchdowns of all time, while also holding a Super Bowl Ring. Peyton Manning is Top 3 in passing touchdowns and passing yards all-time, plus he has two Super Bowl wins. Aaron Rodgers has four MVP awards and he won Super Bowl XLV over the Steelers. Kurt Warner has many postseason passing records, a stunning ride with the Rams “greatest show on turf” offense, and he won a Super Bowl. Tom Brady holds the records for most passing yards and passing touchdowns of all time, plus he has won seven Super Bowl rings. It’s clear that TB12 wasn’t just magical in his playing career, but he’s arguably the greatest athlete of all time.

I believe that the legacy of the QBs mentioned above carries one QB that could have a similar outcome that holds near success as Newton. Warner has been a legendary QB with the Rams, but he only carries one Super Bowl ring. The sight of Warner making into Canton should give Newton confidence. If Newton wins his first Super Bowl, I believe Warner and Newton would carry very similar success in their respected careers.

Nonetheless, I don’t expect Newton to have a dominant 18-week season and then propel his squad to a Super Bowl victory. Yet, if Newton did manage to win another Super Bowl in a unique way, I believe he should eventually be inducted into Canton.

Newton doesn’t have the same arm strength or even the same ability to handle a load frequently as a rushing threat from the starting QB position. Still, I’d love to see him sign as a backup QB on a talented team. If the San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints, or Miami Dolphins sign him, he would have a realistic chance at starting for the potential playoff squads in the near future.

The Superman QB might have fallen off a cliff in the past couple of years, but he has the makeup to come back stronger in the league. He has the Heisman drive, skillset that could attract many teams, and he’s only 32 years old (a year younger than Russell Wilson).

The NFL world witnessed Nick Foles replace Carson Wentz late in the 2017-2018 season and then lead his team to a Super Bowl win over Tom Brady. I believe the 49ers, who were featured in the NFC Championship with Jimmy G, would be a potential fit for Newton in 2022. The 49ers have high expectations for Trey Lance, but the playoff contender can’t just roll out the carpet for him to start in Week 1. Kyle Shanahan will surely bring in a veteran QB, who holds a similar skillset to the second-year Lance, to compete with the former North Dakota State product this offseason.

The Saints had significant injury issues with Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill last season. If the Saints didn’t have Trevor Sieman play for five games, I believe the Saints would have made the playoffs last season. Hill and Newton also have a very similar style of play, so it would make sense if the Saints looked at Newton in a desperate scenario. If Newton has the keys to the Saints or 49ers talented supporting cast in the playoffs, he can seek his elusive Super Bowl ring, and look to punch his ticket to Canton.

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The Carolina Panthers have a big question mark at the quarterback position in 2022. The slightly more anxious Matt Rhule and the Panthers just re-signed XFL standout P.J. Walker on Monday. It’s also been reported by the New York Post that Sam Darnold will be in a Panthers uniform next season. 

It seems that the Panthers want to give Darnold a year of growth and allow him to compete with a likely newcomer at the QB position. The question unequivocally is: what will happen at the Panthers QB position? Well, here are a few potential names that would make sense to land in CAR. 

1. Jameis Winston 

This number 1 option might be strange, but it would make a lot of sense. There’s so much buzz surrounding “Russell Wilson landing in NOLA”, but not enough traction revolving around Jameis Winston’s next landing spot. If Wilson takes his talents to the Big Easy, there is a 0% Winston remains in New Orleans. I’d love to see the Panthers sign Winston vs drafting a QB round one in the 2022 draft. The Panthers have a shorter window to pursue the Lombardi trophy off the legs of Christian McCaffrey. They also have the WRs to move the chains at ease. They can insert a mega arm, 27-year-old QB in Winston this offseason. 

It would be a poetic move for Winston to sign with his third NFC South team. At least Winston could grow with talent on offense and the talented, youthful defense (particularly on the front seven). 

2. Sam Howell

Again … I wouldn’t want to see the Panthers notch a QB in round one. They can find a similar value QB with Sam Howell in round two, not to mention that they still carry a QB project in Darnold. Howell would be a beautiful pickup by the Panthers. Howell may have more gasoline on his arm than Darnold and he even he is a few years younger than Darnold. He could utilize deep threat, Robby Anderson, quite well for Rhule. 

Howell had 24 passing touchdowns, 9 interceptions, 3,056 passing yards, and a 76.1 passer rating in 2021. It was below his 2020 season performance truly. Howell recorded 30 touchdowns in 2020 and ousted a 179.1 passer rating. Howell even registered 38 passing touchdowns as a freshman.

Howell really has the arm talent to put up big numbers with Anderson and Moore if he can master the playbook. If he can’t, he could sit and let the Panthers build the roster for a year then he could potentially take the reigns in a soon-to-be Brady-less NFC South. QBs like Matt Ryan and Jameis Winston could also be out of the division in 2022 or 2023, as well.

3. Cam Newton

This option might appear ludicrous for 75% of Panthers nation, but Cam does have a knack to come back from the dead. I also agree that there is less than 10% of Newton being prepped as the QB1 at the start of the training camp. Yet, Darnold routinely faces the injury bug. He’s missed four games in each of the past two seasons. If another injury occurs to Darnold in preseason action and they really need a veteran QB instead of a rookie, it would be ideal that Cam is inserted or gets a phone call. 

There isn’t a single soul that can clock the book on Newton’s work ethic. If he stays in shape and shows that he still has a grasp on the Panthers offense, he can really be a serviceable QB for the familiar offense.

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Sam Darnold’s career up to this point has not lived up to expectations. The former third overall pick lasted just three seasons with the New York Jets. The team around Darnold in New York was not in any position to win. In much of a sense, Darnold was “thrown to the wolves”. 

While the expectations were high, Darnold was never placed in a situation to truly succeed. The team that the Jets constructed was below average in nearly every aspect. There were no clear offensive weapons to help Darnold develop. The offensive line was abysmal. The run game was non-existent. Yet, people were in disbelief when Darnold was never able to get his footing in the big apple. 

In Darnold’s three seasons with the Jets, he never played a full season. He also finished with a record of 13-25. Stat wise, he wasn’t much better. He threw 45 touchdowns and 39 interceptions. He ran for five touchdowns but added another 20 fumbles. That brings his touchdown and turnover totals to 50 and 49. Those numbers are not what you would want out of your starting quarterback. But all hope is not lost. 

Darnold will get a second chance with the Carolina Panthers. The Jets sent him away in an off-season trade. Carolina is building a strong team with pieces on both sides of the ball.

They also have youth on their side and time to let the young players develop. This could prove to be beneficial to Darnold. The team will go through growing pains, but with much of the coaching staff also being young, they will all get to grow together. 

But can Darnold be the long term option for the Panthers? All signs point to them being willing to wait and see. They gave us decent draft capital to bring him to Carolina and will have expectations for the quarterback. At least for the moment, there is also no other quarterback for the Panthers.

PJ Walker has been a solid backup for the team and can play when needed but is not the future of the franchise. Will Grier is the only other rostered quarterback and he has not been what Carolina thought he would be when they took him in the third round of the 2019 draft. All roads will lead back to Darnold, at least for now. He is in a good position to be the QB1 and there are a few reasons why. 

Coaching

Sam Darnold is finally away from previous head coach Adam Gase. Gase never utilized Darnold in a way where he could showcase his abilities. From poor play calling to poor offensive schemes, the two were never on the same page. For the first time in his career, Darnold will have both a head coach and offensive coordinator that are fully committed to getting the best out of him.

Head coach Matt Rhule will be entering year two. Rhule was the head coach at Baylor for three seasons where he drastically turned the team around. In his first season in 2017, they finished with a record of 1-11. In his final season in 2019, they finished with an 11-3 record and a berth to the Sugar Bowl. 

While Matt Rhule will play a role in how Darnold does in Carolina, he won’t be the main factor. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady will take on much of that. 

Offensive coordinator Joe Brady, who played a crucial part in LSU’s 2019 national championship run, will also be entering year two. The former collegiate signal caller is already being viewed as a head coaching candidate; already receiving multiple interviews after just one season of being an offensive coordinator. His ability to make last season’s offense be decent is alone deserving of an interview. The Panthers unit last season was injury plagued and without their star running back for nearly the entire season. 

Both coaches will look to develop Darnold in a way that the Jets never did. Patience and trust will be necessary to make sure that this is all able to work out.

Receiving Options 

The Panthers have put together one of the most underrated wide receiver rooms in the NFL. With Robby Anderson leading the group, they also have D.J. Moore, David Moore, and rookie receiver Terrace Marshall Jr.

All four receivers have their own specialties and all have played well up to this point. Anderson reached the end zone just three times last season but had over 1,000 yards receiving and 95 receptions.

Fourth year receiver D.J. Moore had a season very similar to Anderson: 66 receptions, 1193 receiving yards, and four touchdowns. The two of these receivers have quickly become one of the top receiving duos in the NFL. 

The Panthers were able to steal David Moore from Seattle. Moore is the type of receiver that every team needs to have. Even with sharing a ball with Seahawk receivers Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf, David Moore was still able to reach the end zone six times on 35 receptions. 

A sneaky addition to the group is LSU receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. Marshall played well in his three seasons at LSU. After a freshman season that did not amount to much playing time, Marshall took off in 2019. In his final two seasons he scored 23 touchdowns and had 1,400 receiving yards. His familairy with Joe Brady will also benefit him as he transitions to the NFL. 

This receiving group is very different from what Darnold had to work with in his final season in New York. An improved group will give Darnold the opportunity to showcase his abilities. But it will also cause the criticism to become even worse. Now that he is surrounded with valid options at receiver, there will be smaller room for mistakes.

Christian McCaffrey 

Darnold will also have the luxury of having one of the game’s best running backs in his backfield. McCaffrey appeared in just three games last season but still scored six times, two in every game he appeared in. 

The versatility that McCaffrey brings will be what Darnold profits from the most. McCaffery is dynamic in both the run and past game. He is just one season removed from scoring 19 touchdowns and having almost 2,400 yards from scrimmage.

When healthy, he is arguably the most talented running backs in the NFL. With him being a part of this unit, Darnild will know that he can depend on him and lean on him when needed. In other words, McCaffrey is the league’s best “security blanket”.

With all of the other added weapons to this offense, all the pressure to produce won’t only be on McCaffrey as well. The ball will be distributed and all of the offensive minds will be able to work together to produce a strong unit. 

This will be a big season for Sam Darnold. His future in this game is still very unknown, but his performance this season could directly impact how much longer he’ll be in the NFL. He is also just 24 years old. With the weapons around him, he is in a position that many other quarterbacks would be lucky to have.

Can he be a QB1 in this league? I believe so. He is still the talented passer that he was during his days at USC. Luckily, he will now get the chance to showcase that. It could very well be QB1 season for Darnold.

The post Why Sam Darnold is the sure fire QB1 in Carolina appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Eric Mintzer

Jets: A-

It appears the Jets’ smoke screens are starting to disappear. With the trade of Darnold, it is evident they will use the second overall pick on Zach Wilson. Now, the Jets face the familiar task of building around the young quarterback.

In 2020, the current GM of the Jets, Joe Douglass, admitted that the team failed to build around Darnold. In exchange for Darnold, the Jets received the Panthers 6th round pick in 2021, and a second and fourth in 2020. Presently, the Jets hold 21 picks in the next two drafts, 10 of which fall in the first three rounds. 

While Jets fans have seen this script before, more picks is always a starting spot for a rebuild. Beyond Wilson, the Jets are likely use their plethora of draft capital on a running back and several linemen. Seemingly, the Jets have a coach, GM and quarterback that are all on the page”¦ the first page. 

When the Robert Saleh era begins this fall, the Jets will tout a new receiver. With the addition of Corey Davis, Wilson is already looking at a better receiving core than previous Jets quarterbacks. Again, whether Wilson succeeds or not is yet to be seen. But, moving forward, the Jets loading up on picks is a step in the right direction. 

Panthers: B+

DRAFT IMPACT

This year’s quarterback class has divided their NFL suitors into two categories: quarterback-hungry teams, and quarterback-starving teams. By trading for Darnold, the Panthers announced that they were a quarterback-hungry team.

From the start of the offseason, the Panthers have been focused on upgrading at quarterback. Yet, when trading with the Jets, the Panthers settled for Darnold, rather than the second overall pick. The Panthers were hungry enough to trade for a starter. But, unlike many teams this year, they are not starving to draft a franchise quarterback.

Most likely, the Panthers will trade the eighth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Simply, one of the quarterback-starving teams will make Carolina an offer they can’t refuse. If the Dolphins landed four picks for the third overall pick, then the Panthers can expect a decent return.

However, if Kyle Pitts is available, then the Panthers could be eager to take the Florida standout. Or maybe they decide to take the best available lineman to protect Darnold. Conversely, if Carolina wants to upgrade their secondary, then they have options of elite cornerback prospects. Ultimately, by deciding that they are hungry, not starving, the Panthers have a lot of flexibility in the draft.

On the field in 2021, they will have Sam Darnold, former third overall pick, at quarterback.  In Darnold, the Panthers are getting an unfinished product. Highly touted out of USC, Darnold was never put into a situation to succeed with the Jets. However, just moving away from Adam Gase should be enough to cause an uptick in production.

With Darnold entering the fourth year of his rookie contract, the Panthers are essentially taking a one year trial with Darnold. Clearly, consistency and durability have been issues for the young quarterback. But, there is still plenty of upside to explore.

Sam Darnold: A+

Well before the trade, Sam Darnold knew that he would enter the 2021 season playing for a new coach. In 2018, he played his rookie season under Todd Bowles. After the Jets fired Bowles, Darnold spent the next two seasons playing for Adam Gase. With the hire of Robert Saleh, the Jets would have provided three coaches in four years for Darnold.

Evidently, the Jets coaching carousel limited Darnold’s development. Naturally, Darnold regressed under Gase.  From 2019 to 2020, his touchdown rate decreased and interception rate increased. As a result, Darnold led the Jets to the worst offense in the league, both years with Gase. Now, Darnold is finally free from Adam Gase.

Enter Joe Brady. At the start of the 2021 season, Darnold will be only 24 years old. The same age as Bengals’ quarterback Joe Burrow. In college, Burrow led the LSU Tigers to an incredible championship run with Joe Brady as the passing game coordinator. If Burrow is any indication, then Darnold is in great hands.

Last season, Brady engineered an offense that finished 18th in the NFL in passing offense. Incredibly, this came with all-pro Christian McCaffery playing in only three games. Furthermore, Darnold is reunited with Robby Anderson, who is coming off of 95 receptions for 1,096 yards in 2020. Over two seasons together, Darnold found Anderson for 11 touchdowns.

Essentially, for Sam, this is a chance to hit the reset button. Out of New York, Darnold will face a less critical media presence in Charlotte. In Carolina, Matt Rhule and Joe Brady will finally offer Darnold a chance to play in a system. Objectively, CMC is the best weapon Darnold has ever had. At last, Darnold will be able to develop into the player that the Jets thought he could be.

Lastly, this season will be an audition for Darnold. Whether the Panthers pick up his option for 2022 or let him enter free agency, Darnold will be betting on himself this year. For all of the reasons stated above, Darnold will be motivated with Carolina. Especially in Week 3, when the Jets play in Carolina.

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