Panthers news: Bryce Young, Derrick Brown, Ben Johnson and Cam Newton

Carolina Panthers trade for Bryce Young graded

The Carolina Panthers swung for the fences by making a daring trade up to No. 1 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft for quarterback Bryce Young. Those in power believed this was the missing piece of their puzzle after what they perceived to be a profitable recruitment period in free agency.

General manager Scott Fitterer boldly predicted an NFC South title challenge. Team owner David Tepper stated the move could save some money as Young's skills didn't need elite-level weapons to keep the chains moving. Both ridiculous statements blew up in their face.

Young struggled, His supporting cast was woeful. The Panthers won two games and are handing over the No. 1 pick in 2024 to the Chicago Bears as a result.

It came as no surprise to see Alex Hoegler from Total Pro Sports give the Panthers a poor grade after Year 1. As for the Bears? They've hit the jackpot in no uncertain terms.

"The Panthers are the worst team in football. Frank Reich was canned after 11 games. Young has no o-line and no weapons outside of Adam Thielen. Oh, and Carolina has limited draft capital now to build around Young. What if they just tanked one more year and got Caleb Williams, paired him with Moore and held onto those additional picks? Oh, the humanity. F for Carolina. F as in “Failure”. For the Bears? Well it’s an A+++ of course! They got a legitimate WR1 in Moore to help Justin Fields piece together a career year up to this point. To think they can take Caleb Williams OR Marvin Harrison Jr. first overall with Carolina’s 2024 pick…or they can trade it for extra assets. The options are limitless for the Bears here, who are on the verge of something special."

- Alex Hoegler, Total Pro Sports

Evaluating Young was difficult during a turbulent rookie campaign. Hopefully, the Panthers can find the right head coach and upgrade the pieces around him this offseason. After that, it's down to the signal-caller's personal growth.