Why the Panthers shouldn’t go broke for Matthew Stafford
By Dean Jones
What other options do the Carolina Panthers have?
If the Carolina Panthers decide that the price for Matthew Stafford is too steep, they have some other options they can consider who could be of significant use moving forward.
The most obvious, of course, is trading for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. His fractured relationship with the organization is probably past the point of no return and although this would take an astronomical package, one could argue he is worth it considering his elite status and age.
There are also some veteran free agents they could possibly go after. This is unlikely to compromise their strict salary-cap too much and given the team is stuck with Teddy Bridgewater next season, getting in a little more in the way of instant competition wouldn’t hurt in the short-term.
A longer-term solution could also be sought vis the 2021 NFL Draft. The Panthers will do their due diligence on every prospect in the hope of one falling to them at No. 8 overall. But looking at the second-tier level of quarterbacks coming out this year as a development project is another strong possibility.
Stafford is a good player who is proven in the NFL.
But giving up a top-10 pick and other assets might be a step too far.
Carolina might decide to pull the trigger, which would instantly change them from a promising rebuilding franchise into one with a ‘win-now’ mentality. Judging by what we saw from the roster last season, that might be too soon.