Although the Panthers came away with a Day 2 quarterback in this draft (Matt Corral), third-round picks do not necessarily block teams from further investments at this position. The team will continue to look into the likes of Jimmy Garoppolo, Baker Mayfield and now Nick Foles, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes.
GM Scott Fitterer said post-draft the team would go with its current group — one headlined by Sam Darnold and Corral — but Garoppolo or Mayfield would provide an upgrade. The Panthers and Browns had discussed Mayfield ahead of last week’s second round but could not determine how to divvy up the since-replaced QB’s fifth-year option salary ($18.9MM). Darnold is already attached to that sum, which would make Carolina eating all of Mayfield’s option price a non-starter. As such, Mayfield is in limbo.
This marks the second Garoppolo connection to form in the past few days, with the Texans also believed to have the longtime 49ers starter on their radar. Houston did not draft a quarterback last week. Few Garoppolo connections emerged this offseason, with the 49ers’ high asking price limiting teams’ interest. The eight-year veteran’s shoulder surgery provided a roadblock as well.
Foles, 33, languished on the Bears’ bench for most of last season. The former Super Bowl MVP also lost his starting job in both 2019 (to Gardner Minshew in Jacksonville) and ’20 (to Mitchell Trubisky, after having taken it from the incumbent earlier that year). Last season, Andy Dalton and Justin Fields ran Chicago’s offense in all but one game — a Foles-directed win in Seattle — and the Bears finally cut bait after the draft.
Corral became a Panther after the team traded into the third round, giving up its 2023 third-rounder to do so, but the team might have had its eye on a different QB. The Panthers had a deal on the table to trade back into Round 2, when Corral, Malik Willis and Desmond Ridder were on the board amid their Friday-night freefalls.
“I had the card in my hand, and [owner David Tepper] looks at me and says, ‘What do you want to do?’” Fitterer said, via Breer. “And we both just kind of took a moment, and we looked at the board, and we decided the right thing to do was to be patient. Let’s not overpay. Let’s be smart about this. Let’s not dig ourselves in a hole for next year. Let’s inch back on trading with these quarterbacks.”
The Falcons and Titans took Ridder and Willis, respectively, and Breer adds the Panthers would have been fine going with Sam Howell instead of Corral. They decided on the Ole Miss product, and the in-state product fell all the way to Washington atop Round 5.
I think that of the 3 Mayfield is the only one who is a definite upgrade over Darnold, who I don’t hominid necessarily a list cause yet. But I also get Carolina not wanting to take in’s Baker contract and then potentially lose him all over again. Also, if the draft story is true, wise move by the Panthers. Trading up in their situation would have been a panic move regardless of how far the QB prospects eventually fell. If you don’t think any of those guys can step right in and play, then let the draft come to you.
You don’t think Jimmy G is a definite upgrade over Darnold? Come on.
That’s fair. I guess what I really think is that Baker is definitely better than Jimmy G, and I’m more open to Darnold than most. Partly because of Jimmy’s shoulder questions, partly because Jimmy just had never moved the needle much for me, and partly because I’d just like to see what Darnold could do with even a halfway decent team around him.
I’m a Jets fan, so I’m very familiar with what he’s had working against him, but other QBs have shown a lot more with bad situations. What QB has shown so little over four years of starting opportunities and turned out well?
Same team as last season and that was a spectacular nosedive
Hey, at least they have a better left tackle plan than Cam $@&%ing Erving.
Cam Erving. What a flop.
And they signed him at the very start of free agency! Their Plan A was a guy who’s never been good as a pro. But oh yeah, Joe Brady was the problem.
Everyone says Jimmy G rode a great defense to the playoffs each time, and he did. But mayfield had very good defenses and very good offenses too and didn’t ride those anywhere. But maybe that’s just Cleveland for you.
In fairness, Jimmy G went from understudying Brady to a Shanahan offense. Mayfield had some rough early situations.
Both Jimmy G and Baker helped make their teams much, much better. The Browns were so absolutely awful pre-Baker, sometimes I honestly think he’s underrated because of everything he had to overcome there. Now having said that, he’s been equally at fault as anyone else for his own demise and shortcomings.
Oh 100% Mayfield did, and I think he will be better off elsewhere.
Wish the Panthers would do something already lol.
Seahawks need to get upgrade at QB too Drew Lock is absolute garbage
Agreed. The “Drew Lock is a gunslinger” narrative has run its course, he’s just not good. They should just wait until Mayfield is cut.
He’s not getting cut
Jimmy G definitely an upgrade over Darnold and Mayfield…..plus he is coming from a much stronger offensive program
Jimmy G puts the Panthers over the top. (I’m a Niners fan)