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What Would A Draft Look Like if Carolina Traded for DeShaun Watson?

4 Man Forum, 4 Man Mocks, Uncategorized


By: 4MR Norris

It’s been less than two weeks since news broke that DeShaun Watson was unhappy with the Texans’ brass and wanted out of Houston. The very minute that the news broke, a lot of Carolina fans started drooling over the fact that a young franchise quarterback could be available via a trade. A trade that would likely involve three first round draft picks or, at the very least, two first rounders and an established player like Brian Burns or DJ Moore. 

If you go on any social media platform, you’ll see fans giving their opinions on whether or not to trade for Watson if he becomes available. Personally, I love Watson and think he’s one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the league. He led the league in passing yards this year without having a number one wide receiver. However, I’ve been fairly vocal about not wanting to give up a lot for Watson. Mainly because we’d have a quarterback but wouldn’t have any draft picks to build a team around him for at least 2-3 years. (If that sounds familiar, see Newton, Cam) 

Recently, I’ve started thinking about the “what if’s” of a trade for Watson. Mainly because Carolina just hired Sean Ryan, who has coached Watson, to be their Quarterbacks Coach. Given the fact that we still need a franchise quarterback, it could be worth a shot to try to trade for him. There’s already a pretty good core group on both sides of the ball, so maybe it wouldn’t be that bad, right? 

Let’s say, Carolina lands Watson and gives up pick 8 and first round picks in 2022 and 2023. Could Carolina still build a pretty good team around him this year? Here is a mock draft that shows what Carolina could potential do if they traded for DeShaun Watson: 

2nd Round

Liam Eichenberg OT Notre Dame 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ High School Athlete

Eichenberg is a three-year starter for the Irish as a left tackle. He would be an instant starter at a position that the Panthers have needed since Jordan Gross departed in 2013. The 6’6 305 pound prospect is a monster in the run game and will hold his own in pass protection. He has good hands and decent lateral mobility. This would solidify a position needed to help Watson succeed. 

The Draft Network NFL Player Comparison: Mike McGlinchey

3rd Round

Paulson Adebo CB Stanford 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ High School Athlete 

Corner is a position that the Panthers desperately need going into next season. Carolina opted to pay Shaq Thompson instead of retaining James Bradberry, who had a Pro Bowl season in 2020. The Panthers have Donte Jackson, but that’s the only starting caliber corner on the roster. Hopefully Carolina re-signs Rasul Douglas, who played well last year, but getting Adebo here would help catapult the secondary. Adebo has good length and has really good man coverage and zone coverage skills. He’s also willing to lay someone out when given the chance. 

The Draft Network NFL Player Comparison: CJ Henderson

4th Round 

Anthony Schwartz WR Auburn

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ High School Athlete

With Curtis Samuel possibly leaving in free agency, Carolina could use another speedy receiver. Schwartz’s fastest recorded 40 yard dash time is 4.27 seconds. He has soft hands and great suddenness off the line of scrimmage. This pick would give Watson another weapon to use in Joe Brady’s offense. 

5th Round (A)

LaBryan Ray DT Alabama

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ High School Athlete

Newly hired General Manager, Scott Fitterer, could be looking for different avenues for getting more salary cap space for the Panthers. Kawann Short could be one of the salary cap casualties due to the fact he has only played five games in two seasons and the Panthers could gain $9.7 million in cap space. Zach Kerr played well with Derrick Brown, but Carolina needs to add another defensive tackle to the rotation. Ray is a force against the run and would be a good two down threat. He won’t offer much on third down, but he’s the space eater that the Panthers could use right now. 

5th Round (B) COMPENSATORY PICK

Tommy Kraemer OG Notre Dame

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With Matt Paradis being the only starting offensive lineman (from 2020) under contract right now, offensive guard is a huge need. Kraemer could be a starter year one in the right offense, and I think that could be in Carolina. Pairing him beside Irish teammate, Eichenberg, could help his development tremendously. He’s a beast in the run game and will be sufficient enough in pass protection to offer Watson enough time to throw the ball. This would be a solid pick at this position. 

6th Round (A)

Brenden Jaimes OL Nebraska

Jaimes would come in and compete for a guard spot right away. He’s a versatile player that can play either tackle spot and either guard spot. Position versatility is something that Coach Rhule loves on his roster, so this is a no-brainer here in the sixth round. 

6th Round (B) COMPENSATORY PICK

Paddy Fisher LB Northwestern

Fisher is one of the linebackers that Carolina gets to coach in the Senior Bowl this year, so they’ll get a real close look at him. He plays fast and physical. He’s mastered the Peanut Punch, as he’s caused ten fumbles in four seasons for the Wildcats. Fisher would give the linebacker room some much needed depth coming out of the sixth round. 

7th Round 

Jimmy Morrissey OL Pittsburgh 

To close out the draft, Carolina could snag a back up center. A three year starter for the Pittsburgh Panthers, Morrissey blocks with good hand placement and sufficient strength. Give him a year or two to learn from Paradis and he could possibly take over at center. 

This would probably be a best case scenario draft outcome for Carolina and it would make Watson happy. Is a trade likely to happen? Probably not. However, the rumors are gaining some momentum. General Manager Scott Fitterer came out and said he will be aggressive with the roster while exploring every trade and free agent option. Make no mistake, Carolina WILL go after Watson this offseason, but they aren’t likely to have enough to beat out the Jets or Dolphins. 

There’s no doubt that Watson would make the Panthers a much better team, but is it worth giving up the future? Scott Fitterer will also trade back some in this draft, as that was his M.O. in Seattle. Also, these draft rankings will change throughout the offseason, so some of these players will rise and fall. Either way, this will be an interesting draft and offseason for the Panthers.

Edit: It’s worth noting that Watson has a no-trade clause in his contract, which means he can’t be traded to any team without his consent. This could drive down the asking price and takes the leverage out of Houston’s hands. Fitterer will be aggressive this offseason and this roster will look a lot different.

Would this draft work for Panther Nation if Carolina also got DeShaun Watson? 

4 Man Forum

4 Man Forum

This week, we decided to take a few questions from some of our fans. Not sure if this will be a permanent weekly feature, but it’s something to get fans involved. We only received a few questions, so let’s start it off.

Do you think the offensive line will be able to handle San Francisco’s pass rush? – Thomas York III

The Carolina Panthers offensive line can handle the San Francisco 49ers defensive line IF…….they execute their blocks with lower pad levels. The 49ers play with high pads coming off the ball leaving their chest exposed. During trench warfare the ones who win with leverage aka lowest pads will be able to control the player in front of them. The last two opponents of the 49ers (Redskins & Rams) had great opening drive success running the ball down. If the Panthers OL can get lower pads and proper helmet placement while drive blocking then there will be huge running lanes for McCaffrey to take advantage of. – 4MR Kevin

With the emergence of Dennis Daley, what will the Panthers do when Greg Little comes back? – Jason Smith

This is a tricky question, since we have offensive line depth for the first time in forever. Little played well in limited snaps at left tackle but Daley has played well in consecutive games. No clue what they will do, but personally I think they should leave Daley in at left tackle. The concussions are concerning and Little shouldn’t be rushed back any time soon. Having seven quality offensive linemen on the roster is a good problem to have. Also, I included Tyler Larsen in the seven. It’s eight if you are part of the minority that considers Daryl Williams a quality lineman. – 4MR Norris

Should Alex Armah get the ball in short yardage situations? As great as CMC is, it’s clearly not his strength. –Matt Strand

I would say that’s not our offense’s strength as a whole. Our interior OL hasn’t played well and we don’t have the guys that can drive you off the ball and get movement to be effective in short yardage. Hopefully, that part of the offense improves with the return of Trai and Paradis getting back into form after his broken leg. Here are stats via Football Outsiders:

Adjusted line yards – 23rd..measures how many yards are created by the OL vs the RB. So the OL isn’t creating yards.

Power success – 30th shows that the OL isn’t getting movement on 3rd and 4th and short.

Stuffed % – 22nd shows CMC gets hit before he gets to the line of scrimmage more than your average RB. – 4MR Will

While Cam has been medically cleared to travel with the team, he will not be active. As far as pulling a struggling Kyle Allen, I just don’t see them benching him. The thing about Kyle is, he can make a mistake and then he shakes it off. He doesn’t let a bad play define his whole game. So, I really don’t see Carolina putting Grier in at any point unless Allen gets injured or we are up by 20 in the fourth quarter. – 4MR Norris

What does the Four Man Rush think SHOULD happen when Cam’s ready? Will Kyle Allen remain the starter if he’s still undefeated? – Matt Crinkley

Since this is the most talked about subject, we believe it requires multiple answers from the 4MR crew.

When Cam is healthy, the team will make the best business decision. In this case, you don’t leave the face of your franchise as well as 16 million dollars on the bench. Should Cam struggle or cost us games, Kyle Allen prepares in a way where he shouldn’t miss a beat if he were needed to come back on the field. – 4MR Lawrence

I personally think you have to ride the hot hand until Allen’s magic run comes to an end. Cam is obviously the franchise quarterback, and the team has a lot invested in him. However, I think this needs to be looked at as a week-by-week situation. I just don’t think you can yank a guy that keeps on winning. This also gives Cam time to completely heal and come back playing at a high level. All In all, this is a good problem to have. – 4MR Greg

I like Kyle Allen and think he’s done an admirable job at filling in. I’ve seen him get better each week and I’ve liked his confidence from day one. I do think that Cam deserves to start at some point this season, but only when he gets back to 100%. Cam has put his body on the line in every game he’s played and he’s earned the right to get his spot back. If he’s 100%, he gives Carolina an added weapon on offense that opposing defenses will have to account for. Cam played his most efficient season last year prior to his injury, and it was Norv Turner’s first year as offensive coordinator. If Cam struggles or gets hurt again, you know you have a capable backup. In my opinion, it’s no different than Bridgewater in New Orleans being undefeated, because you know Brees is getting his job back. It’s not a knock on Kyle Allen, but a healthy Cam is better than Kyle. That’s just my opinion. But, I don’t make the decisions and I’ll support whatever Ron does. I would understand if they decided to stick with Allen, but I don’t think that will be the case. -4MR Norris

Thanks for the questions and as always, Keep Pounding!