Picking the Reich Quarterback: Young vs Stroud

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What if I said I'm starting to see some similarities this off-season compared to last year? You wouldn't believe me, right? You would note that the new coaching staff is the most accomplished in team history for the Panthers ever, and it arguably could be the best overall staff in the NFL currently. You should undoubtedly point out how the Panthers have made some moves early in free agency, rather than waiting until the end, for Baylor and Temple alums. Things are definitely looking up for the Panthers, but here are a few things you might have yet to think much about. 

Last season, Carolina went into training camp last year not knowing who their starting quarterback would be. After missing out on DeShawn Watson, Carolina traded for Baker Mayfield after OTAs. Many felt the Heisman Trophy winner would be a vast upgrade over the struggling Sam Darnold. Many also believed in Sam's abilities and that he would retain the starter position, given his hefty contract paying him over 18 million for last season. After winning the Heisman Trophy award, Baker was selected 1st overall in the 2018 NFL draft. Baker measured in at 6'1 and 209 lbs. Baker is so revered as a college prospect that Oklahoma built a statue of him outside their stadium. Sam Darnold didn't win the Heisman. He was in the running but didn't place in the top ten. Sam was a highly touted quarterback prospect coming out of USC. Darnold is the prototypical NFL quarterback size, listed at 6'3 and 225 lbs. Given his experience in a pro-style offense, size, and arm strength, Darnold stirred all kinds of excitement heading into to the NFL, so much so, that the NY Jets took him #3 overall in the 2018 NFL draft.

Bryce Young is known to be the best quarterback in this year's upcoming draft. Luckily for us, the Panthers hold the #1 overall pick and are already on the clock. Bryce won the Heisman Trophy in 2021, electing to return to Alabama. This was somewhat unprecedented, but because of NIL contracts, we can expect to see this more going forward. Bryce doesn’t have prototypical NFL quarterback size, similar to Mayfield. Young weighed in at 5'10 and 204 lbs at the combine. Size alone won't stop a QB prospect from being successful. Baker turned around one of the worst teams in the NFL and even led them to their 1st playoff win in 30 years. Could Bryce go to the Texans and pull off a similar feat? To say that Baker had struggles in Carolina would be an understatement. Baker posted one of the highest batted-ball ratios at the line of scrimmage in the NFL last season. Could not being NFL prototype size be the cause for this? Will Bryce struggle with batted balls because of his size? Early research says size isn't the determining factor, but how can you be 100% sure? Baker also had issues in Carolina escaping the pocket and running into pressure. I believe this is because he couldn't see over our massive offensive line that is built to maul other teams in the run game. Our pass protection ranked in the top half of the NFL last year, but Baker needed to roll out of the pocket to push the ball down the field. This ultimately led to more sacks. You see some similarities in Young’s tape. He likes to get outside the pocket, advert pressure, and make a big throw downfield. Does this playstyle translate to the NFL, or more importantly, does this playstyle translate to the Panthers? Baker was ultimately released from Carolina and ended up with McVay in LA. McVay harnessed this playstyle in just five days,  making Mayfield look like an NFL quarterback again. Does Young thrive in a similar offense packed with motion, bootlegs, outs, and drags? Would Reich have the flexibility to mold the offense around a shorter quarterback, playing with a very large NFL-caliber offensive line?

Many said Sam Darnold had the most promising season in Carolina last year. Sam didn't win the Heisman Trophy but was in the running. Stroud didn't win the trophy either. He also was in the running finishing 4th overall. Sam looked more comfortable in the pocket this season and was able to deal some good balls down the field. With Darnold being 6'3, he could throw more slants and posts to targets over the middle. The same assumption could be made for Stroud being similar in size to Darnold. Some called for Darnold to trust his legs more to escape pressure while processing the play. We are hearing similar murmurs about Stroud. Stroud even said himself at the combine that he wished he had used his legs more to showcase his running ability. Reich has already stated the need for Carolina to push the ball down the field vertically, and he's always had a quarterback 6'4 or greater. What style will he choose? Both play styles can be effective, but how much does size factor in on this #1 overall pick?

New and exciting times here in Panthers Country, but we've got the same decision to make at the quarterback position. Have we learned from our past, and will the Panthers be able to tailor a playstyle that fits the new quarterback prospect? Countless mistakes were made with Baker and Sam, and you can certainly blame coaching and organizational problems as the root of the problem. Do the Panthers have the wherewithal to avoid the pitfalls that tons of highly touted quarterback prospects fall into? We don't want to mortgage our future on a quarterback that isn't set up for success. But we also don't want to pick a guy who doesn't match what we ultimately want to do on offense. We've been down a similar road before, Panthers Fans, and this time we must get it Reich!

By Deese
Follow on Twitter @Deezeillskillz