3 reasons the Panthers could not wait for Deshaun Watson
By Dean Jones
They took one final look at Deshaun Watson before moving on, but the Carolina Panthers simply couldn’t wait around for the Houston Texans quarterback.
The Carolina Panthers got their next quarterback by trading for Sam Darnold from the New York Jets. It cost them three NFL Draft picks over the next two years, which might be a small price to pay if the player finds a new lease of life in a different environment.
However, it’s clear that Carolina’s target No. 1 throughout this offseason was Deshaun Watson. Such was their desire to acquire the former Clemson star from the Houston Texans, they did plenty of investigative work before coming to the conclusion a move for the player wasn’t the right play at this juncture.
According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, the Panthers high-brass that included team owner David Tepper did their “due diligence” on Watson’s current civil suits that are now the matter of criminal investigation prior to their move for Darnold.
The billionaire was “all-in” on getting the signal-caller to Carolina this offseason before matters took an unfortunate turn. So even though Tepper has been known for taking some enormous risks in business, he eventually decided to walk away from Watson with the matter nowhere close to being resolved one way or another.
This wasn’t Carolina’s first choice, of that there is little doubt. But they now at least have a player who comes with some upside after failed moves for Matthew Stafford and Watson, in addition to losing the chance to get a top college prospect by staying put at No. 8.
Without further ado, here are some reasons why the Panthers simply could not wait for Watson in 2021, although they might go back in for him somewhere down the line.