5 most important additions of the Panthers’ 2021 offseason

Sam Darnold – Carolina Panthers QB

The Carolina Panthers were relentless in their quarterback search this offseason, which eventually settled on a trade for Sam Darnold to free the player from the New York Jets. This represents a significant gamble by the organization considering what the former USC star has shown throughout his career to date, although he wasn’t exactly blessed with a solid supporting cast or a competent head coach at MetLife Stadium.

Teddy Bridgewater was shipped out for nothing more than a sixth-round pick and was even given a $7 million payoff by the Panthers to seal his move to the Denver Broncos. The team also decided to pass on Ohio State’s Justin Fields at No. 8, which was another strong indicator of their faith in Darnold.

The signal-caller was filmed throwing 60-yard bombs to D.J. Moore during a private workout on social media this weekend, which is one of the big reasons why the Panthers brought him on board in the first place. If Darnold can make a better go of things with superior talent in the passing game to call upon, Carolina’s gamble paid off and their potential search for a long-term replacement for Cam Newton comes to an end.

This team will only go as far as Darnold takes them. The stakes are incredibly high both for the No. 3 overall selection in 2018 and those who brought him to Carolina. So providing he can be more efficient and come through in clutch situations, it will be an absolute game-changer.