Expect the Carolina Panthers to go hard after Deshaun Watson again
When the Panthers ended trade talks with the Texans over Deshaun Watson last October, there was an expectation that the two sides would re-engage at a later date.
At the time, the Panthers, then 3-4, were still concerned with Watson’s legal situation. He’s facing 22 civil lawsuits alleging sexual assault and misconduct. He has denied any wrongdoing through his attorney.
The Panthers also felt like the Texans were asking for too much in return.
But with the Panthers still trying to find their future franchise quarterback, expect those trade talks to pick back up when the new league year begins March 16.
Carolina left the 2021 season knowing that an upgrade must be made at both offensive line and quarterback for them to have a chance. And trading for Watson, who has long drawn the eye of team owner David Tepper, would be a major step up from Sam Darnold, who this season threw only nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 12 games.
Watson, 26, a three-time pro bowler, was the NFL’s passing leader in 2020 after throwing for 4,823 yards, 33 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.
Though the Panthers struggled to protect their quarterbacks in 2021, Matt Rhule has indirectly tried to make Carolina a place Watson would want to come. Any Watson trade would have to be approved by the quarterback, who has a no-trade clause in his contract. While there are multiple teams that can make a play for him, it has been reported that Miami is his preferred destination.
Last season, Rhule hired former Texans quarterbacks coach Sean Ryan, who worked with Watson from 2017-18, for the same position in Charlotte.
And for the offensive coordinator job in Carolina, which has since been filled, Rhule interviewed former Texans OC Tim Kelly for the position last week.
Kelly was Watson’s quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator when he led the league in passing yards two seasons ago, but was fired earlier this month along with first-year head coach David Culley.
Rhule reportedly tried to interview Pep Hamilton, a Charlotte native, and the current quarterbacks coach for the Texans, but he declined.
The Panthers hired former Giants coach Ben McAdoo as OC on Friday.
All signs point to the Panthers being major players in the Watson sweepstakes, but there are a number of factors they must take into account.
One, a trade for Watson will cost the Panthers at least three first-round draft picks, and possibly one of their top young players. The Panthers’ best trade asset is defensive end Brian Burns, who earned a spot in this year’s Pro Bowl and is two years away from his rookie contract ending. Burns is a player the Panthers can continue to build around.
Running back Christian McCaffrey could also be an option.
Giving away three first-round picks means that the Panthers wouldn’t be able to address other key areas. And they have a lot of them that need to be addressed, including an offensive line that failed to protect Darnold and Cam Newton.
Carolina allowed 52 sacks — fifth-worst in the league.
With the No. 6 overall pick in this year’s draft, this may be the Panthers’ best shot at drafting a quality left tackle.
Two, Watson won’t be cheap. His contract, which expires after the 2025 season, was much more attractive last season when he only counted $15.9 million against the salary cap.
His cap number for 2022 increases by $40 million, nearly a fifth of the team’s cap space, according to overthecap.com. That price will increase again to $42.4 million in 2023, drop to $37 million in 2024 and drop again to $32 million in 2025.
That type of contract doesn’t allow for a lot of flexibility in free agency.
Trading for Watson could force the Panthers to again find themselves in a situation where they’d be signing a lot of cheap one-year rentals. Turnover happens every year, but chemistry is built with consistency.
And three, the allegations from these women against Watson are serious, and they likely won’t be resolved by March 16. The NFL has an open investigation and could decide to suspend Watson.
The Panthers have a lot to think about.
This story was originally published January 23, 2022 at 7:00 AM.
