Are the Carolina Panthers stalling on Teddy Bridgewater trade?
By Dean Jones
Talks regarding a possible trade for Carolina Panthers quarterback Teddy Bridgewater are stalling, but why is there a delay?
There doesn’t appear much hope of Teddy Bridgewater being a long-term option at quarterback for the Carolina Panthers. The free-agent signing found life difficult stepping into the void left by Cam Newton following his controversial departure and the organization is making no secret of its desire to get an upgrade at the position before competitive action begins in 2021.
Just how they can achieve this is still up in the air. The Panthers are reportedly willing to pay any price to land Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans, which would be a significant upgrade on Bridgewater and a move that should raise expectations to a level not seen since the 2015 campaign.
Bringing in another trade option like Sam Darnold is another possibility. But Carolina wasn’t on Russell Wilson’s potential list of destinations should he leave the Seattle Seahawks that makes a reunion with Scott Fitterer difficult.
If they strike out on their potential trade targets, there doesn’t appear much in the way of quality in free agency. Therefore, the 2021 NFL Draft becomes their best possible avenue and may involve another bold move with the top-three quarterbacks set to be off the board by the time Carolina is on the clock at No. 8 overall.
A lot will happen between now and then.
But it appears Bridgewater’s time with the Panthers is all-but over.
According to Ian Rappaport of the NFL Network, Carolina has received some calls from other teams inquiring about the availability of Bridgewater. But discussions have been put on hold at this precise moment.
Considering how eager the Panthers are to find his replacement, why are they holding off on moving Bridgewater?