The future of the Carolinas
by Crimsion | 3 years ago | 2 Comments
Following the 2021 SFL Draft the Carolina Panthers and head coach Jordan Charles hit the ground running once camp opened. The rookies were impressive all-around during their poriton of the camp and former Vanderbilt running man Nate Bernson left the Panthers' coaching staff quite impressed.
Coming off a 11-6 season, the Panthers looked to reload this off-season and make a deeper post-season run, but looking forward HC and GM Jordan Charles knew the team needed to address somethings to continue their success. Quarterback Sam Darnold being the elephant in the room, he is playing on the final year of his deal where Carolina is paying the former Trojan $18 million and they will need to make a decision at some point.
"We liked what we saw from Sam [Darnold] last season," said Coach Charles during the week four pre-season presser. "We're happy with where we stand and will let Sam continue to command the offense without any distractions."
With a potential need at Quarterback and without a first-round pick, the Panthers found themsevles between a rock and a hard place, little did they know relief was not too far from home. Coming out of the first pre-season game, the Panthers saw round 3 selection Nate Berson showcase his talent, rushing for 71 yards and adding 132 receiving yards along with a touchdown on seven catches. The offense didn't seem to miss a beat, thus making star runningback Christian McCaffrey suddenly expendable.
The former Stanford product formed a solid bond with Branson once he was drafted and ultimately his praise of the rookie would be the final blow to his time in Carolina. McCaffrey stated that Branson possessed the same skill-set that he did, which then lead to him finding a new home in New York with the Jets.
The Panthers went from not having a first round selection in 2023, to having two first-round picks in 2023 as well as 2024. New York let go of their first-round pick, the Atlanta Falcons first-round pick, a 2023 third-round pick, 2024 second-round pick and to top it off, Carolina added defensive end Carl Lawson, who lead the SFL in QB tackles last season with 20.
When asked about the possibility of honing in on a Quarterback in the first round next off-season, GM Jordan Charles was quick to take the pressure off their current quarterback.
"Darnold is who is in the building and he has been every day, he's our Quarterback." Said Charles.
The Panthers will get their first taste of real action when they take on the Cincinnati Bengals week one.
