Mon, Apr 5, 2021 at 4:25pm

DARNOLD DEALT TO CAROLINA

The Carolina Panthers acquired quarterback Sam Darnold from the New York Jets for a sixth-round draft pick in 2021, a second-round draft pick in 2022 and a fourth-round draft pick in 2022.

What does it give the Carolina Panthers
The Panthers have reportedly been eyeing several different quarterbacks this off-season, most notably Houston's Deshaun Watson as well as some of top prospects from the 2021 draft. However, they decided to settle for Darnold, who may still have a lot of untapped upside but has yielded poor results since entering the NFL in 2018. Clearly, Darnold needed a change of scenery. That said, is he the answer for Carolina, or will they look to acquire another young QB with the eighth pick in the upcoming draft?

What does it give the New York Jets
This move needed to be made by the Jets, who are expected to start over in 2021 with a new starting quarterback selected No. 2 overall in the upcoming draft. It will likely be either BYU's Zach Wilson or Ohio State's Justin Fields. Darnold was a disaster in New York, so the return here was more quantity than quality. That said, the Jets now have an opportunity to restart the contract clock at the quarterback position and (finally) land a franchise quarterback for the first time in decades. That is their hope.

Fantasy impact
Darnold is not automatic to start for the Panthers in Week 1. For one thing, veteran Teddy Bridgewater is still on the roster. Furthermore, Carolina might still decided to pick a QB early in the '21 draft. So, Darnold should be no more than a late-round flier in most fantasy leagues this season. Assume nothing...he may surprise that way.