Does trading for Sam Darnold make sense for the Carolina Panthers?

How realistic is a Darnold trade for the Carolina Panthers?

There doesn’t appear much doubt that Sam Darnold is going to be on the move. Trevor Lawrence might think twice about declaring in pursuit of avoiding the Jets, but it would still be a jaw-dropping scenario if he returned to Clemson for his senior year.

Darnold is far from a lost cause. But it just so hard to gauge how good the player can be given the inept level of talent around him from the moment he was drafted.

If the price isn’t too steep, there are plenty of teams that could do with someone with the intrigue of Darnold. The Carolina Panthers don’t appear to be one of them from the outside looking in, but if Bridgewater struggles between now and the end of the campaign then a potential move for the former USC standout is not out of the realms of possibility.

Bridgewater would have to regress considerably in the coming weeks for the Panthers to contemplate this sort of move. There has been more good than bad despite what the Cam Newton loyalists would tell you, but the limitations are there for all to see regarding his ability to get the ball downfield quickly.

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Carolina won’t be in a position to select Lawrence or even Justin Fields. However, the likes of BYU sensation Zach Wilson might be in play and this might be the better way to go rather than gambling on Darnold, who does have talent but very little in the way of confidence after a torrid time with the Jets to begin his career.