In perhaps the worst offseason ever to really need a quarterback, the Carolina Panthers really need a quarterback. But can they still find their guy in one of recent history’s most polarizing classes?
Offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo may think so.
The 44-year-old play-caller met—or at least virtually met—with team reporters for the first time on Tuesday amidst the second outing of voluntary offseason workouts. When asked by Cameron Wolfe of the NFL Network if readiness factors into what he looks for in a quarterback, specifically out of the college level, McAdoo possibly tipped his hand a bit as to who he might like in just over a week’s time.
“I’m a big swing-for-the-fences kind of guy,” he said of his desired traits. “So just ’cause you’re ready, it doesn’t mean you’re gonna be the best. But ready does factor in some scenarios. I think that experience obviously helps, more games ya play helps. I think your experiences under what type of system you played in may help some guys over others. And I also think maybe experiences in all-star games may help some guys over others. But at the end of the day, you have to pick a player that you’re gonna be happy with at that position for, hopefully, the next decade. Then readiness, it plays a part, but it’s not everything.”
Hmmm . . .
That sounds an awful lot like a certain player from Liberty University, does it not?
Obviously, McAdoo has grown a bit savvier to using his words in public. So he’s not going to divulge too much potentially damaging information to Carolina’s draft strategy.
But if you want to connect the dots between these comments and what’s to come, Malik Willis is very much the “swing-for-the-fences” prospect and University of Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett is very much the most “ready” prospect. While Pickett may be a bigger help to the offense in 2022, Willis’ sky-high potential is something that could make the franchise happy for that next decade.
Plus, this isn’t the only instance of McAdoo leaning towards potential over readiness. Back in the 2017 draft, the then head coach of the New York Giants reportedly pushed to trade up for Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes. ESPN’s Anita Marks then described McAdoo as “very upset” when the move did not happen.
He also exhibited his keen eye for special traits a year later. When evaluating the 2018 class with the New York Post, McAdoo ranked Buffalo’s Josh Allen and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson as the top two players of the group—over the likes of Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Mason Rudolph and Baker Mayfield.
So, has the plot—like McAdoo’s rockstar hairstyle—thickened?
