Carolina Panthers: Why potential Andy Dalton move makes no sense

Why the Carolina Panthers should avoid Dalton

The Carolina Panthers have invested a lot in quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. The former Minnesota Viking penned a three-year deal worth $33 million guaranteed and put some nice pieces around him in the hope of making the move a success.

With just P.J. Walker and Will Grier as their current backups, Carolina will be hoping Bridgewater can make the most out of his second chance to become a consistent NFL starter. The former Louisville standout came back from the brink after a serious knee injury to reignite his career. It would be nothing short of sensational if he could get back to the player of old.

If it doesn’t go according to plan, so what? The Panthers are not expected to be anything like challengers in 2020 and a struggling campaign would put them in prime position to take one of the elite quarterback prospects in next year’s NFL Draft.

These are expected to be Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, Ohio State star Justin Fields, and North Dakota State gunslinger Trey Lance. All three have the potential to be franchise-changing prospects and it might be prudent for the Panthers to wait for a player such as this rather than go down the route of bringing in someone like Andy Dalton.

There is no doubt this is a period of transition for the franchise. Carolina’s decision-makers have made a good start in building from the bottom up with some notable free-agent signings and an NFL Draft that saw them make history.

Adding Dalton does not make sense from a playing perspective. But it also offers little in the way of financial incentive.

The Panthers are up against it on their salary cap at the present time. This is partially down to their eye-watering dead cap number of $49.1 million, which is comfortably the NFL’s highest.

Bringing in a player such as Dalton might not be cheap. This also makes it an unrealistic option and any additional funds Carolina manages to free up should be allocated on other needs that could have a greater impact on starting positions.

Any move to sign Dalton sends out the wrong message and it is something the Panthers should avoid at all costs.