Carolina Panthers: QB Sam Darnold will eventually be traded
Imagine having the first and third overall picks in the same draft class and both are quarterbacks. That’s the situation in Charlotte as the Panthers orchestrated a deal with the New York Jets and picked up Sam Darnold in 2021. More recently, the team acquired Baker Mayfield from the Cleveland Browns for a conditional draft pick.
The franchise has won exactly 15 games over the past 3 seasons combined. And if you think having two members from the Quarterback Class of 2018 is intriguing, Carolina used a third-round pick in April on Ole Miss’ signal-caller Matt Corral. Seems like a pretty crowded quarterback room.
Chicago Bears: QB Justin Fields throws 20-plus TD passes
Over the last few months, new general manager Ryan Poles has been doing his best to upgrade Chicago’s pass-catching corps. The Bears have signed numerous free-agent wide receivers and recently traded for former Patriots’ first-round draft choice N’Keal Harry.
Justin Fields’ rookie campaign in 2021 was full of ups and downs. He connected on just 58.9 percent of his passes, threw more interceptions (10) than touchdown passes (7) and lost five of his 12 fumbles. But there were also some moments when he made opposing defenses nervous. Former Packers’ assistant Luke Getsy is Chicago’s new offensive coordinator.