There are around ten NFL teams looking for a quarterback prior to the 2023 season. One of them is the Carolina Panthers.
Here are some of my thoughts on what their options are.
One longshot would be trading for Lamar Jackson. I am not sure the Baltimore Ravens are going to trade the former MVP. But if they are, it would not surprise me if the Panthers make an offer.
Jackson would add another dynamic running element to a Carolina team that ran the ball well even after trading Christian McCaffrey last season. Jackson is still just 26 years old and would immediately make Carolina a playoff team.
The most likely path the team will take is to draft a quarterback. The Panthers possess the No. 9 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. That will put them in position to land one of the top quarterback prospects in the draft and build around him while he is on a coveted rookie deal. This thinking would likely put C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young, or Will Levis in a Panther’s uniform.
Another possibility is signing free agent Derick Carr. The former Raider would improve productivity immediately and give the franchise immediate credibility. Moving on from Josh McDaniels’ offense could make Carr more like the guy who completed 68.7 percent of his passes from 2018-21. Under McDaniels in 2022, Carr completed 60.8 percent of his passes, the second-worst mark of his career.
There are other options including Jimmy G and even keeping Sam Darnold. Personally, I see the Panthers making a splash to bring in a name to solve a problem that has been ongoing for years now.
College Athletics Hitting New Low
From time to time in these pages, I have spoken of incidents involving athletes at major colleges. How the athletes are given special treatment. And how appalling it can all be.
Well, here is another. Alabama head basketball coach Nate Oats admitted this week that he was fully aware his star freshman, Brandon Miller, supplied a gun to a former teammate, who then allegedly used it to shoot a woman. As it turns out, Oats and the Alabama Athletic Department knew about this for over a month.
Yes, the head coach of the number-two team in the nation was fully aware his best player supplied a murder weapon to a teammate. As a side note, Miller is projected to be a top five pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. I find the whole incident shocking including the fact that Miller is still playing basketball for the Crimson Tide.
Court records revealed that Brandon Miller brought the gun to the scene of the crime that led to the shooting death of Jamea Jonae Harris. I wonder if Alabama and Coach Oats, while Miller continues to play, wonder if Ms. Harris would still be alive if Miller acted differently?
Lamar Jackson
