Year 2 with the Panthers has seen Bryce Young removed and re-inserted into the lineup amongst up-and-down performances. It remains to be seen if Carolina will target a replacement, but at this point the team appears to be eyeing moves at other positions. 
Young’s ability to recover from a disappointing rookie campaign was a central storyline for himself individually and the organization as a whole. The main goal of first-year head coach Dave Canales was guiding last April’s No. 1 pick into a franchise passer, a process which hit a roadblock early in the campaign. Young was benched in favor of Andy Dalton in Week 3 before eventually returning to the top of the depth on a permanent basis in Week 8. During the intervening period, trade calls came in given the potential of Carolina being willing to move on.
As general manager Dan Morgan confirmed last month, however, consideration was never given to a trade. Young and the Panthers’ offense have generally seen an uptick in performance since he returned to the starting lineup, although Week 15 represented a notable exception in that regard. Questions therefore still linger with respect to how Carolina will proceed in the offseason. Young figures to remain in the team’s plans, though.
Quarterback should not be considered a position the Panthers target during the first round of the 2025 draft, ESPN’s David Newton writes. Aiding the team’s defense would represent a reasonable goal, and Newton adds edge rush will likely be a option for Carolina’s top pick (one which could still reach as high as the No. 1 slot). Joe Person of The Athletic likewise notes Young should still be in place for next season at a minimum (subscription required).
The 23-year-old’s trade value is not particularly high given how his Carolina tenure has gone to date, and with his 2025 and ’26 compensation (totaling roughly $10.3MM) guaranteed, a release would not be sensible. Young could also be retained one season longer via the fifth-year option, but a decision will not need to be made on that front until after the 2025 campaign. How Young and Canales fare that year will be pivotal in shaping the franchise’s rebuild.
In the meantime, Person adds a veteran presence should be expected to pair with Young. Options include a new deal for Dalton (a pending free agent) or other signal-callers set to hit the market this spring like Daniel Jones. Person names Geno Smith as a potential target based on his familiarity with Canales, although his Seahawks future remains uncertain. An experienced passer would insulate against the possibility of Young regressing in 2025, but for now that is the level of investment under center the Panthers should be expected to make during the offseason.
They’re not bad enough to be able to draft Sanders or Ward, and Young has looked better as of late. Just sign a journeyman to complete with Young and if he fails next year draft his replacement in the deeper class the following year.
Get him an O-line and a couple more weapons.
This. Look at Sam Darnold. Exact same situation for him when drafted by the Jets. Give him an Oline and some receivers and whala, he can now reach his potential.
Sometimes I wonder how GMs get their jobs, expect performance when the obvious reasons are in front of them, and usually their fault because they didn’t construct the team to make players successful.
Build the rest of the team. Ride Young and other journeymen out until you tank for the right QB.
Agreed.
I would ride young as well.
Alright I’m a perv. That made me laugh. And for the record, I did laughing emojis and it showed up blank. Case closed! Im a detective!
@irish
haha.
great job Irish! It does the same for me lol.
Victory is ours! Finally!
I really don’t understand how Geno gets jumped into the same conversation as Daniel Jones. Definitely a top 20 quarterback in this league, and this Seattle offense would be toast without him
Yeah, Geno is a starter in this league next year, even if only as a bridge guy, not just providing competition for a presumptive starter. Makes all the sense for Seattle to keep him. It sure looked much worse with Howell. Seattle just desperately needs to bolster their interior line. It’s been just about the worst in the league.
After how he’s looked since re-entering the lineup, I don’t think Young’s prospects are particularly worse than the best prospects in this draft, and the best prospects in this draft won’t fall to Carolina anyway. They have one of the very least talented defenses in football. They desperately need to invest there.
This. Young is fine. He’s definitely closing the gap between he and Stroud and that’s without as much talent around him.
Yeah, I don’t think that get very much by drafting a Young replacement high right now. If Young’s ascension is in fact temporary, and he torpedos down again next year, whomever Carolina picks will now will be more useful for the next QB who may have a better chance.
The Carolina offensive line actually has been playing better lately, but offensive linemen are always useful and they may as well start planning for younger replacements for some veterans now. Eke oh was never really a pick that I
felt was right for the cost, but he’s a mauler in the run game and has played better with the pass. Thielen is still by the far the most clutch weapon on offense, and probably could give Carolina a year or two more (especially since his game isn’t based on speed), but the Panthers need to put someone reliable behind him and Legette. They’ve had bursts from different players there, but another receiver would be very helpful, especially underneath.
What would be even better is a tight end-Sanders is wayyyy too inconsistent, and drops too passes or messes up his routes. Tremble too has random mistakes or penalties that hamper his frequent positives. I’d like to see a safety net player for Young or the next QB who can also consistently catch passes. Thielen is the only guy that Young trusts to always come down with the ball right now, which is why their connection is strong. Legette is a big play threat and a good pick, but he also gets lower percentage plays as well, so Thielen is still the “gotta have it” guy to me when I watch.
Lastly, as good as Hubbard has been, relying too much on him in the backfield is going to leave Carolina really vulnerable when he gets hurt (which, for running backs, is only a matter of time). Who knows what Brooks will look like when he comes back from yet another injury, and he will be out a while. The Panthers might need to consider yet another running back investment, though that does not necessarily need to be in the draft.
All very great points AK. Consistency is really the key. And not riding Chuba into the ground
Thanks, I just saw that autocorrect changed Ekwonu to…well, whatever it says now.
Hahaha!! It did take me a sec but I figured it out Lol
Johnny Hekker will soon be 35 so the Panthers will use their first draft pick on a punter 🙂
Hekker punting til he’s sixty.
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