Did Panthers kiss Deshaun Watson goodbye after Matthew Stafford trade?
By Dean Jones
Why Stafford trade is bad news for the Carolina Panthers
First of all, Deshaun Watson’s asking price has officially gone through the roof. This is a player at the peak of his powers and there is every chance he could get even better with more prolific weapons available to him elsewhere.
The Houston Texans would probably ask for four first-round picks, at the very least, following the sum Matthew Stafford commanded. One suspects this would be too much for the Carolina Panthers and one that could jeopardize their current rebuild, although the benefits of acquiring Watson are there for all to see.
On top of those selections, Houston would probably ask for some talented young players to further sweeten the deal, which could make it the biggest trade in NFL history and one the Panthers might not consider in the circumstances.
Carolina might choose to wait and draft their future quarterback.
But the Detroit Lions might also complicate matters in this regard.
It would be a massive surprise if any of the top-three signal-callers in this year’s draft were available by the time Carolina is on the clock at No. 8 overall. And the Lions are now in a prime position to trade back for more picks with any team looking to leapfrog the Panthers and select somebody like North Dakota State standout Trey Lance.
This would be nothing short of a disaster for the Panthers, who haven’t outlined any faith in Teddy Bridgewater leading them moving forward and if they strike out during the offseason, it could have a detrimental impact on the team’s chances in 2021.