How close did the Panthers get to landing Matthew Stafford?
By Dean Jones
The Carolina Panthers came within a whisker of landing quarterback Matthew Stafford from the Detroit Lions.
It is now apparent that the Carolina Panthers are going to move heaven and earth to get a new quarterback this offseason. Teddy Bridgewater simply didn’t do enough to convince the organization he can lead them back into postseason contention after an indifferent first year under center and the front office is being aggressive in their pursuit of an upgrade in the hope of boosting the team’s fortunes in 2021.
One player who was clearly identified as someone who fits the bill was Matthew Stafford. The former No. 1 overall selection requested a trade from the Detroit Lions after a 12-year stint with the franchise that brought one Pro Bowl appearance, more than 45,000 passing yards, and 282 touchdowns. But with a new regime coming in, the signal-caller decided the time was right to take his chances elsewhere.
Carolina was on the phone quickly trying to work out a deal.
But just how close did they come to landing Stafford?
Carolina Panthers came within touching distance of a Matthew Stafford trade.
The answer is very.
According to Albert Breer, senior NFL reporter at Sports Illustrated’s MMQB, the Panthers were so confident in securing a trade for Stafford that they’d sought his medical records to get the deal over the line at the earliest possible opportunity.
This package was to include the No. 8 overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft in addition to another pick in the later rounds. But the Los Angeles Rams swooped in with an incredible offer that tipped the scales in their favor and left Carolina out of luck.
The fact that the Panthers were willing to give up such their first-rounder and more to lure Stafford from the Lions tells us plenty about their intentions. General manager Scott Fitterer, head coach Matt Rhule, and owner David Tepper have all been vocal about the need to get better production from their quarterback, which is likely to leave Bridgewater on the outside looking in once OTAs and training camp comes around.
What comes next for the Panthers is unclear. There is still a chance they can pull off a bombshell trade for Deshaun Watson, but their asking price of two first and second-round picks over the next two years, together with a couple of talented young defensive players might be too much given their current rebuild.
However, it would be a huge surprise if they didn’t try.
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Where this leaves Bridgewater is unclear. The Panthers don’t have an out on his contract until 2022, so it’s likely that they’ll try and find a trade partner to get him off the books and maybe get a draft selection back in return.
Not exactly how the free-agent signing saw things going when he decided to join Carolina. But the simple fact is he didn’t do enough in crunch situations with the game in the balance.
This is going to be an eventful few months for the organization, of that there is little doubt. No fewer than 25 players are out of contract, veterans are at risk of becoming salary-cap casualties, and Carolina is also looking to nail down their signal-caller of the future before competitive action begins in 2021.
That won’t be Stafford, who will now look to lead the Rams back to a Super Bowl. But the Panthers came incredibly close and this is a big statement in itself.