OT: Sam Darnold to the Panthers
Missed it by that much.
-Maxwell Smart
So are the panthers not taking a qb anymore?
Depends if you consider Sam Darnold a QB or not.
I realize most here are Detroit fans, but as a Falcons fan, this trade produces a complex response. On the one hand, I just have to laugh at the fact that the Panthers just threw away draft capital for a completely broken QB. On the other hand, this decreases the value of the number four pick since this takes a potential trade partner out of the market.
For those Detroit fans out there, do any of you want Detroit to try trading-up? The draft essentially starts with the Falcons at four since the first three picks are already locked in. Whomever selects at four would have their pick of the litter of non-QBs or whichever top-QB remains on the board. Really intriguing stuff going on here.
You know more about Atlanta than I do, but aren't they going to go QB as well at #4 pick? (edit: i kind of misread the end of your text, but still curious)
Word is that they’re heavily thinking of Kyle Pitts after resigning Matt Ryan.
Gotcha, I just looked at his contract. It is pretty much 3 more years. Huge cap hit moving him, unless he walks away. Haven't read too much into the details of it tho.
Matt is resigning? Or is he relegating? Oops, you mean re-signing.
Atlanta is not guaranteed to be taking a QB at four. With the recent restructure of Matt Ryan's contract, the Falcons are tied to him through next season. They technically could (financially) move on from him after June 1, 2022, but that doesn't seem likely at the moment; we're going to have to wait and see how he performs under the new staff. Taking a QB is still one of the likely outcomes for ATL in this draft, but I wouldn't be surprised (and am personally hoping) to see them trade-down for a haul of future picks. It seems like the Falcons were very interested in Trey Lance, so depending on who the 49ers take, Lance may be the pick at four.
edit: Squirrels is right though, they have been signaling major interest in Pitts, which would be a pretty good pick IMO.
I live in Atlanta (Bucs fan, not a Falcons fan, but listen to ATL sports radio all the time) and I think its in the Falcon's best interest to try and find someone to trade down with. You know this better than I do but they've got other problems on that roster that are bigger than QB right now. They need help in so many places, particularly on defense.
Find someone who is desperate to get Trey Lance (Lions, Pats, Saints, they all need a QB). Ryan has shown he can still play at a high level and be good enough most weeks to give you a chance to win. Atlanta's main problems are an inability to run the ball and just bad defense. Neither of which are Ryan's fault. In my mind, Atlanta should continue building its OL and get that kid out of Oregon. Arthur Smith is clearly going to want to run the ball if his time in Tennessee is any indication, and the Falcons OL has been pretty meh over the last few years. The games I get to watch for them just show an inability to run the ball in crunch time to close games out.
If I'm Atlanta, I only go get Trey Lance if I'm dead certain he's going to be the league's next superstar. You don't need to draft a QB this high right now. And I probably wouldn't take Pitts at #4, either. To take a TE that high, to me, is a serious stretch. He'd seriously need to become the next Gronk/Kelce for that pick to be justified at #4.
For those Detroit fans out there, do any of you want Detroit to try trading-up?
While I don't count myself as an active Lions fan, I'd still like to see them do well.
My cynical suspicion is that if they trade up they'll do it for another WR or TE. I'd rather them stay put or even trade down for more picks—they have more than one hole to fill.
TEs in round 1, 2 and 3 is the only way to go. It's all about the TEs.../s
I dont see any reason any team would trade up in the early parts of this draft unless they want a QB. If anything this sucks for detroit because it might take Carolina out of the QB hunt so one less team to trade down with.
I don't consider what they traded much capital.
There is nothing in this draft worth trading up for. Trading down or for the future is the smart play for the Lions.
Absolutely no reason to trade up for the Lions. There’s nothing in this draft worth trading up for, and with so many holes on this roster that need filling, it makes much more sense to trade DOWN and add draft picks than it does to move up a few spots and give up draft capital.
Moving up, in my opinion, is reserved for teams who view themselves as being a piece or two away from making a run and desperately wanting the specific player available at that spot. In regards to the Lions, they have too many holes and aren’t anywhere near competing. Moving up won’t make the Lions a better team here, and will actually hurt the team by giving up more valuable draft picks on a rebuilding roster.
You’re already in the top 10, take your pick where it is, or trade down so you can add a few more young pieces to build on.
"Moving up, in my opinion, is reserved for teams who view themselves as being a piece or two away from making a run and desperately wanting the specific player available at that spot."
What the new Lions front office does with the draft will be a telling sign whether or not they'll be any more competent at correctly evaluating their existing talent than the previous several decades. If the Lions give up draft choices to move up and take some shiny new WR or TE, that's not a good sign.
I think Darnold is an all NFL QB for the right team.
He had the unfortunate luck to be drafted by a team that hasn’t a fucking clue
Yeah - I'm a Jets fan and was a little annoyed when they were looking at the BYU kid. I thought - you are done ruining Darnold yet. Finish one job before you start another. I feel bad for anyone the Jets draft, especially quarterbacks.
Evaluating a Jets QB is like evaluating a Lions or Bengals QB—how much of their struggles are the QB and how much are the team around them?
Darnold must be thrilled. He gets a fresh start in a place that has some talent. He's only 23. Plenty of time for him to still succeed.
Jets seem hell-bent on being bad for the foreseeable future, so I feel bad for Wilson walking into this tire fire.
What makes you say that? They got the most sought after coach and the new GM Joe Douglas is highly respected and has made some shrewd moves, gaining draft picks and creating cap space. And the fan base is split pretty much 50/50 on whether it will be wilson or fields.
You’re one of my favorite posters, but I have no idea what you’re talking about here.
Might as well post this tidbit in this thread, too (was originally posted in Putin's thread).
Anyone else remember when Darnold threw that immediate pick six to the Lions in the 2018 season opener and 2 or 3 Lions fans thought that game would be a cakewalk? Then NYJ went on to win 48-17?
Yeah, I don't recall that game at all.
Most points a Darnold led offense scored in 3 seasons.
Thanks, Patricia!
48 is more points than the majority of NFL teams have scored in a game in the last 3 years.
Crap, there goes Lions leverage to trade back.
There's a chance that one of
Fields.
Lance.
Or Mac Jones.
Could be there at 7.
Just depends if a QB needy team believes in them.
If I was the Lions, I would be calling the Denver and Patriots office and checking if they're happy with Lock or Newton. Panthers taking themselves out of the QB pool sucks because this decreases Lions leverage and reduces the need for a team to move up that high for a player. But Lions either need to trade down and accumulate picks or bolster their lines. The WR class is insane this year but it means nothing if they can't protect the QB. You're just wasting another WR (i.e. Megatron, Golladay)
None of those QBs are franchise changers. Fields and Jones will most likely be flops, especially on a bad team. Lance is a big unknown.
As a Panthers fan, I think this is a good trade. I know Sam got knocked around a bit with the Jets, but I still think he can produce if he has a decent OL and maybe a RB (Christian McCaffrey) and some WRs.
Go Panthers!
The Jets already said as much.
Is it possible for a sports franchise to be more mis-managed than the Knicks? Jets are giving it a shot.
If you made this comment a year ago it would be valid, but both franchises have made significant positive changes so I think you’re completely wrong.