Bryce Young looked beaten and bruised at the end of his rookie season. The Panthers expected a lot out of their 1st round pick but failed to give him adequate support. However, they stepped up their efforts this offseason, upgrading their offense under a new young head coach Dave Canales.
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Things are looking up for Young but if he fails this season, the franchise can move on from him, given the zero downside teams have with rookie quarterbacks.
NFL Scout turned podcaster John Middlekauf was back with another titillating episode of the 3& Out- Mailbag podcast, answering the fan questions about their favorite franchises.
A fan posed a question about whether the Panthers could turn around their franchise with Young as their QB. While pointing out that Carolina made a draft mistake of picking Bryce over Stroud, who looks like a star for the future, he believes that can still turn things around.
They have the perfect man for the job in Dave Canales, an enigmatic and dynamic play-caller. Middlekauf also stated that they have a good defense.
But if Bryce turns out to be a bust like many 1st-rounders before, they can trade him in three years. Having already paid him, they are not obliged to pick up his fifth-year option.
He feels if they can turn him into the top 20 or top-15 QB in the next three years, that would be great. If not, they can draft a new quarterback and move on from him without financial repercussions. Many teams that found themselves in a similar position did that.
The Patriots traded Mac Jones, and both Justin Fields and Trey Lance were traded by their respective franchises. That’s the reality of the new NFL.
“I think your hope is your coach is a dynamic offensive play-caller, and defense is good. That’s the hope and just see if Bryce can give anything. Let’s just say Bryce busts, you already paid the price. The only thing you can worry about now is- Can we just make this guy top-20 or maybe top-14 QB. If that’s not the case in 3 years, they can draft another guy.”
But it’s too early to judge Young based on a single season. He can improve under better conditions and turn things around. Canales seem like a positive influence but the key would be to improve game-by-game.
We would think that a quarterback who struggled in their rookie season, would take advantage of every available snap this preseason. Even CJ Stroud came down and thew a series in pre season. Young might need those pre season reps to start the season on a strong foot. But the Panthers have gone in a traditional direction, unwilling to risk their QB1.
Bryce Young Talks About Pre-Season Decisions From Coaches
Bryce Young needs every available snap he can get before the start of the season. He needs to build chemistry with his new offensive line and wideouts. But the Panthers HC Canales doesn’t seem to agree with this notion, opting to bench his QB1 and all the potential starters.
Although fans are unhappy, Canales remains unworried, and Young trusts his coaches’ decision to sideline him. According to Sports Illustrated, he pointed out that it’s their job to assess the situation and make the best decision for him and other players.
“Obviously, (the coaches) manage the team, they know what they’re doing, so, for me and for us, we trust whatever it is that they want to do and whatever their coaches calls are, we’re going to be ready for that.”
Bryce has already shown improvements in practice this season. He has been more confident and vocal in practice, has focused on the basics, and has developed better anticipation. He has impressed his coaches with his calm composure in the pocket, displaying the intelligence he always had in him.
