Bryce Younger was “fully shocked” and “blindsided” Monday by his benching following Carolina’s Week 2 residence loss to the Chargers, in response to a supply, and veteran Andy Dalton takes over because the Panthers signal-caller Sunday and past.
However wanting Dalton happening a tear, there is a perception inside the group that Younger will likely be referred to as upon once more this season in what can be one of many earliest second acts of a No. 1 total decide’s profession.
“You wish to see what you will have on this child,” one group supply mentioned. “It would be silly to not.”
Panthers coach Dave Canales mentioned Wednesday, and a number of sources confirmed, the group has no designs on buying and selling Younger now. A number of personnel executives across the league surveyed by CBS Sports activities estimated Carolina would get no higher than a Day 3 decide for Younger in the event that they quickly traded him. A fourth-round decide was the very best supplied by a supply.
Past that, there’s nonetheless perception within the 23-year-old former Heisman winner. Three sources accustomed to Carolina’s 2023 draft course of reconfirmed this week to CBS Sports activities that Younger was the “unanimous” choice inside the constructing.
Workforce proprietor David Tepper wished Younger, however so did then-coach Frank Reich and then-general supervisor Scott Fitterer. One supply mentioned that Tepper’s lean towards Younger was identified, however that alone did not sway others from getting on board with the Alabama nice.
Early within the 2023 pre-draft course of, shortly after the NFL Scouting Mix, the Panthers started making their transfer up the draft board. A supply mentioned the group had conversations with the Arizona Cardinals about shifting to No. 3, however these plans received scuttled when Carolina realized it may get to No. 2 with what was nearly a three-team commerce involving Chicago (at No. 1) and Houston (at No. 2).
Plans between the Bears and Texans broke down in early March when the groups, in response to one supply, could not agree on compensation and/or, in response to a unique supply, the Texans stopped speaking with Chicago.
Buying and selling to 2 or 1 would have meant sending receiver DJ Moore to Chicago regardless, so Carolina sweetened the provide a bit extra to go as much as No. 1 and management the draft.
Fitterer and Reich didn’t focus on which quarterback they favored essentially the most till late within the draft course of. After they did, “it was fairly apparent,” Fitterer mentioned on the post-draft presser. “It was actually a five-second dialog after which we mentioned, ‘What can we do subsequent?'”
Reich was emphatic at that very same presser that Younger was his best choice.
“On the finish of the day there’s a whole lot of components that go into it,” Reich mentioned, “however we’re coaches. We’re scouts. We watch the tape. And once you watch the tape, Bryce Younger is one of the best participant.”
The Panthers consulted with Invoice Polian throughout the pre-draft course of, in response to a supply. Polian put collectively Tremendous Bowl rosters as normal supervisor of each the Buffalo Payments and Indianapolis Colts, and he served as the primary GM in Carolina Panthers historical past in between these two stops. Polian, who was the Payments GM when Reich was the backup quarterback for these 4 Tremendous Bowl runs, famously drafted Peyton Manning in 1998 over Ryan Leaf.
In response to a supply, Polian mentioned in pre-draft conferences with the Panthers that Younger might be the NFL’s model of Stephen Curry, the undersized guard who got here out of Charlotte-area Davidson School and who revolutionized the NBA whereas successful 4 NBA titles.
“You wish to win Tremendous Bowls. And there is not any positive factor however there is a chance. And we thought this man had one of the best chance of successful us Tremendous Bowls,” Tepper mentioned in a press convention instantly following Younger’s choice, putting an emphasis on the plural Tremendous Bowls. “The way in which he throws the ball, the way in which he is some extent guard, how you need to use the totally different gamers on the sphere, the way you won’t should have as many elite receivers as a result of he is the purpose guard.”
In Younger’s rookie season, the Panthers gave the quarterback a gaggle of receivers who have been beneath league common in separation, handled a bevy of accidents to the inside of the offensive line and flipped play-callers a number of occasions earlier than the merciful finish to the season.
The Panthers employed Canales partially to repair Younger and get the franchise again on monitor. Clearly, there was a disconnect.
Some outdoors the constructing have believed the transfer to bench Younger this week was motivated or compelled by Tepper. A number of sources mentioned that wasn’t the case, although these sources say Tepper agreed with the choice and did not low cost his affect within the matter.
“No proprietor is not concerned within the benching of a quarterback, particularly one drafted at No. 1,” mentioned one supply.
Younger’s 44.1 passer score by way of two weeks is each the bottom within the league this yr and the bottom within the league for any qualifying passer for the reason that 2020 season. One of many largest causes for Younger’s benching was his third-down inefficiency, and Carolina had the worst third-down conversion fee of any NFL group in additional than 30 years.
“It was attending to the purpose the place in case you did not do one thing, you lose everybody,” mentioned one other supply.
Anecdotally, a number of sources pointed to what they believed was a insecurity inside Younger on the sphere. If final yr’s Panthers have been the worst group in soccer for a mess of causes, this yr’s group improved at each offensive line and receiver, but Younger appeared to regress by way of the primary two weeks of the season. Carolina’s offensive line allowed the fourth-most pressures within the league final season in comparison with having the seventh-best fee to date this yr.
“I’ve confidence in myself. I’ve at all times had confidence in myself,” Younger instructed reporters Thursday. “On the finish of the day, I am a competitor. At any time when there is a soccer and there is a subject on the market, I’ve the utmost confidence in myself. It has been nice with these guys, too, having teammates that I can lean on as nicely. That is not one thing that is gonna waiver.”
There is a robust hope inside the constructing that Younger’s benching can function a reset for the younger participant. All-time greats like John Elway and Terry Bradshaw have been benched early of their careers, solely later to go on and win a number of Tremendous Bowls. Carolina is not discarding Younger at the moment.
However as one supply famous: “The connection is perpetually altered.”
On the night the Panthers chosen Younger, Fitterer and Reich have been all smiles. Tepper stood to the facet and, about eight minutes into the media availability, started fielding questions from reporters. Not solely was the Panthers proprietor happy with the decide, however he was happy with simply how the group went about securing Younger.
“That is really a course of. I am unable to emphasize it sufficient,” Tepper pressured. “We’re true to this course of this time. Not on a regular basis in previous years. However that is: course of within the coach, course of in getting this quarterback and never leaving a stone unturned. So that is really, in all the things we’re doing and all the things we did with the coaches when Frank was employed, a technique of, ‘Do we’ve one of the best individual?’ And [Frank], true to the method. Scott, true to the method. We’re not messing round, for example it that approach.”
Eleven video games after that, Reich was fired. Six video games later, Fitterer was fired. And eight months and two video games later, Younger was benched.