The Carolina Panthers look set to move on from veteran quarterback Andy Dalton this offseason. General manager Dan Morgan is looking for a trade partner, and calls have reportedly been made to see what it might take to bring him into the fold. If not, there is a good chance he'll be released in the coming days.
Carolina is looking for a younger signal-caller to develop behind undisputed starter Bryce Young. Going down the draft front will be considered, but if Morgan wants to examine free agency for a solution, one name immediately jumps off the page.
Trey Lance is a free agent, which isn't an unusual feeling for the once highly touted draft prospect out of North Dakota State. The San Francisco 49ers gave up a king's ransom in a trade to No. 3 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft to select the signal-caller, but it never worked out. He's bounced around the league since, serving as a backup with the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Chargers in recent years.
Carolina Panthers could identify Trey Lance as the perfect development project in free agency
Lance got overdrafted; there is no denying that whatsoever. However, if head coach Dave Canales is looking for a reclamation project to mold, this looks like a better possibility than most.
Nobody would be expecting Lance to compete for the starting job. That's not what this strategy is about. It's about investing in a younger option rather than relying on the aging Dalton for another year. His experience was vital once upon a time, but Young no longer needs a security blanket as he enters Year 4 of his professional career.
He needs to be pushed. Lance may not have reached his pre-draft billing, but he's got a live arm and some eye-catching athleticism. Helping him become a little more disciplined in the pocket and limiting the number of egregious decisions he makes under pressure might be enough to bring him back to life.
If anyone is capable of this, it's Canales.
His work with quarterbacks throughout a fast-rising coaching career is renowned. Russell Wilson, Geno Smith, Baker Mayfield, and Young have all benefited greatly from his expertise. Lance is more of a wild card, but this would be nothing more than a one-year arrangement to begin with, in any case.
Lance's projected market value stands at $1.43 million on a one-year deal. But if the Panthers can finally help the signal-caller find some much-needed momentum, the benefits would be mutually beneficial.
He might not be on the Panthers' radar, which is understandable. But it does fit what Morgan and Canales might be looking for.