4 big wins for Carolina Panthers GM Scott Fitterer so far
By Dean Jones
Ruthless approach to QB search
The Carolina Panthers might not be a quarterback away from being a Super Bowl contender just yet, but it’s evident that this young and ever-improving roster is only going to get so far with Teddy Bridgewater under center. The free-agent signing was inconsistent at best during his first year with the franchise, with his inability to come through in the clutch playing a leading role in their eventual 5-11 record.
Bridgewater might not have had strong pass protection or the presence of All-Pro running back Christian McCaffery for the most part. But the Panthers had four players go over 1,000 all-purpose yards and they still finished with a 5-11 record for the second straight year.
Anyone who thinks this wasn’t to do with Bridgewater going 0-8 on game-winning or tying drives in 2020 is kidding themselves. This didn’t go unnoticed by Scott Fitterer, who has made his intentions clear regarding a change at the position that will hopefully come sooner rather than later.
Getting their player of choice is growing more difficult with every passing day. They failed to land Matthew Stafford despite getting close, their clear pursuit of Deshaun Watson will have to wait and there is now a big chance the top-four signal-callers entering the draft will be long gone by the time Carolina is on the clock at No. 8.
Whether Fitterer gets his guy or not, he deserves credit for identifying this as a real problem that could have a detrimental impact on their chances in 2021 and beyond.