5 best moves of Carolina Panthers 2022 free agency so far

Carolina Panthers did not bow to Deshaun Watson’s demands

Not getting Deshaun Watson via trade was a body blow to the Carolina Panthers. Team owner David Tepper had converted the player heavily for some time now and to miss out after a year-long pursuit of the former Clemson star was a damning indictment of how the team is currently being perceived across the league.

However, there was clearly much more to this scenario than meets the eye.

Watson wanted his third and four years fully guaranteed by the Panthers, which was where Tepper and other primary decision-makers finally drew the line. Considering the contract he was given by the Cleveland Browns, they were right not to bow to such demands and the fact this new contract was negotiated with an NFL suspension in mind regarding his sexual assault allegations is further proof of just how seedy this whole scenario actually is.

Carolina has some damage control to do right now. Especially with female sections of the team’s fanbase that Tepper was willing to alienate to finally land a quarterback that could potentially transform the team’s fortunes on the field.

Although this does not detract from the serious need the Panthers still have under center after Sam Darnold’s lack of production following his trade from the New York Jets, doing a deal with the devil, so to speak, is something they were correct to avoid in the grand scheme of things.

Watson and the Browns will now move forward together and will likely have plenty of success. But there are other ways to build a contender than risking the farm for one individual.