Jettisoned: The Dynasty Impact of Sam Darnold to the Panthers

Ken Kelly

For the better part of the past two months, it’s looked as if the Jets were targeting a quarterback with the second overall pick in this month’s draft, with that likely being none other than Zach Wilson of BYU. New York all but made their next move official as they traded quarterback Sam Darnold to the Carolina Panthers for three draft picks – a sixth rounder in 2021 and a second and fourth round pick in 2022. The move assures the Jets are going to be moving on with a new quarterback and gives Carolina the signal caller they’ve been looking for this off-season. The trade has long reaching dynasty implications, so let’s take a look at the players involved.

Sam Darnold, QB CAR

You have to feel for Darnold. His case is further proof you can’t just draft a quarterback, surround him with inferior talent, churn through coaches and not pay the piper for it in the end. Darnold has been decent throughout his three seasons with the Jets, throwing for 8,097 yards and 45 touchdowns with 39 interceptions in his 38 games. However, the big question is obvious – is Darnold a talented player in the mold of Ryan Tannehill who just needs a change of scenery to flourish or is he an average player destined to be a backup? The Panthers paid a decent price to find out, but also didn’t sell the farm to get the answer, either.

In Carolina, Darnold will likely step in as the starter. However, there are two very important variables. First, the Panthers could elect to shave the salary of Teddy Bridgewater, keep him on the roster and have him compete with Darnold in a quarterback competition Darnold should obviously win. The second variable is a little more interesting. Carolina could still draft a quarterback like Justin Fields or Trey Lance with the eighth overall pick, making Darnold a bridge quarterback to someone the Panthers perceive as ultimately having a higher upside.

If Darnold is given the reigns to the offense without serious competition, you have to like his chances. He has better offensive weapons, will play under an offensive minded Head Coach, and have Christian McCaffrey to dump off passes to. In the end, Darnold’s ranking of QB25 and ADP are both bound to rise a smidge if Carolina fails to add another quarterback in the draft. If the Panthers can unlock his potential, Darnold still has some perceived upside in dynasty leagues.

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Teddy Bridgewater, QB CAR

Once a prized prospect of the Vikings, Bridgewater has famously recovered from a truly gruesome knee injury to be an effective quarterback in the league. The problem is “effective” quarterbacks just don’t bring home many Super Bowl trophies. In his first season as the Carolina starter (and likely his last), Bridgewater threw for 3,733 yards with 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Those are modest numbers at best, but he was without his finest weapon in the form of Christian McCaffrey for most of the season. Still, “Teddy Two Gloves” hasn’t shown enough during his time in Minnesota or Carolina to lead anyone to believe he’s a franchise quarterback and true difference maker on the field. The Panthers are reportedly attempting to trade him and unless he beats out Darnold (highly doubtful) or gets a starting job somewhere else (also doubtful), it’s hard to see him being roster worthy in dynasty leagues.

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Rookie Quarterbacks

The draft is clearly coming into form now. With Trevor Lawrence looking like the first overall pick by Jacksonville, and Zach Wilson looking like the second choice, the drama will start with the third selection. The 49ers are rumored to be interested in Mac Jones, but they could take Trey Lance or  Justin Fields, Carolina is now in a very interesting spot. If one of those quarterbacks is available for them, they could certainly take one and throw everything we’ve said about Darnold into flux. However, it seems more likely they’ll target an offensive player like Kyle Pitts, Ja’Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle or DeVonta Smith, shore up their offensive line or even look to trade down. Adding any of those targets would be a nice bonus for the value of Darnold.

Panthers Offensive Players

While it may not be the most exciting trade in the world, the addition of Darnold shouldn’t really hurt the values of players like Christian McCaffrey, Robby Anderson, or DJ Moore. In fact, one could easily argue Darnold has the untapped potential to really make this offense much more formidable. Remember, Anderson and Darnold had a nice connection in New York and Anderson specifically should have a great chance to  better his career year from last season. In short, the move from Bridgewater to Darnold has to be perceived as a good one.

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Jets Offensive Players

The Jets need a ton of help and it’s debatable if they would have just been better off keeping Darnold and loading up on draft picks. Ultimately, the skill position group that includes Corey Davis, Keelan Cole, Denzel Mims, and others will have their futures tied directly to the Jets next quarterback, likely Wilson. If he hits, we’re going to see some nice value increases with this group. If he doesn’t all bets are off.

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ken kelly
Jettisoned: The Dynasty Impact of Sam Darnold to the Panthers