Dave Canales is a magician who worked wonders with perennially underwhelming QB, Baker Mayfield. Under Canales’ offensive play-calling, Mayfield threw for over 4000 yards, allowing him to get his hands on a 3-year $100 million contract. The stellar campaign even made the Panthers choose the 43-year-old as their next HC, and fans believe he can fix QB Bruce Young if he changes one single thing.
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In a recent episode of NFL Daily’s segment “I Can Fix Him,” Gregg Rosenthal, Patrick Claybon, and Jourdan Rodrigue discussed the potential for Dave Canales to revitalize Bryce Young and the struggling Panthers offense. Eventually, they concluded that if the former Buccaneers coach can teach Young about anticipation and help him release the ball quickly, as he did with Baker Mayfield, the 22-year-old has a real shot at becoming a reliable NFL starter for years to come.
Rosenthal, Claybon, and Rodrigue emphasized that a pro-level quarterback should have strong anticipation skills. They even noted that Young showed glimpses of this ability toward the end of last season.
Before his successful stint with the Buccaneers and Baker Mayfield, Canales spent much of his NFL coaching career under Pete Carroll. He joined Carroll when he transitioned from USC to the Seahawks and served from 2010 to 2022 in various roles, including a wide receivers coach, quarterbacks coach, and passing game coordinator.
Geno Smith, who had been a backup quarterback for most of his career, finally got the starting job when Russell Wilson left the Seahawks. In his first season as a starter, with Canales as his quarterbacks coach, Smith threw for 4,282 yards and 30 touchdowns, achieving a league-high passer rating of 69.8.
That being said, Canales didn’t join the Panthers alone, but brought along a trusted and experienced coaching staff. The Panthers now have Brad Idzik as offensive coordinator, Nate Carroll as passing game coordinator, Will Harriger as quarterbacks coach, and Joe Gilbert as offensive line coach.
While anticipation is one area where Canales can help Young improve, other aspects of Young’s game need attention. His game tape from last season doesn’t tell the whole story, and Canales will need to identify and address these areas to fully unlock the QB’s potential.
Issues With Evaluating Young
Young had a rough rookie season, leading many to doubt his ability to be an NFL quarterback. The pressure of being the No. 1 pick only made things worse. Moreover, while Young has room for improvement, the Panthers did him no favors by throwing him into the deep end of a struggling offense, where even seasoned veterans would have stumbled.
Playing behind a porous offensive line, Young was sacked 62 times. This wasn’t solely due to his inability to get the ball out quickly, as the lack of protection and support played a significant role.
The 22-year-old didn’t get the chance to showcase his talents in a better offense with strong weapons and a solid O-line. He had to force throws, attempting 527 passes but completing less than 60% due to a poor running game.
It’s hard to evaluate a rookie QB when you don’t give him enough to work with. Hence, Canales has a big task on his hands to turn the offense around, all while accepting Young’s obvious height and lack of arm limitations.
