Tag: Andy Dalton

There’s ‘some buzz’ that Panthers could draft a QB

Joe Person of The Athletic said that he’s heard “some buzz” that the Panthers could draft a QB this weekend.

Well, maybe the spot behind Bryce Young and Andy Dalton will have room for growth after all.

Last month at the Annual League Meeting, Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales gave a little insight into how he wants to fill the QB3 vacancy that still exists on his roster. He seemed to be favoring a veteran for the position, suggesting that he wanted the quarterback to have prior NFL experience.

That, however, may not ultimately be the case, according to Joe Person of The Athletic, who noted the following on Tuesday morning:

A month after Dave Canales indicated at the owners’ meetings the Panthers would keep three quarterbacks, we’ve heard some buzz that Canales and general manager Dan Morgan could take one during the draft.

Person went on to add that the team could look into a number of Day 3 prospects — including South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler, Tennessee’s Joe Milton and Kentucky’s Devin Leary.

[lawrence-related id=695797,695780,695765]

B/R picks three very different Saints quarterbacks as comparisons for Bo Nix

Bleacher Report picked three very different New Orleans Saints quarterbacks as pro comparisons for Oregon draft prospect Bo Nix:

You won’t find Derek Carr, Andy Dalton, and Drew Brees mentioned in the same conversation too often, but that’s where we found ourselves here. Bleacher Report’s Derrick Klassen shared his scouting report on Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, a prospect in the 2024 NFL draft, and offered a couple of different pro comparisons for Nix: Carr, Dalton, and Brees.

Incidentally, all three of them have played for the New Orleans Saints. And that’s where this comparison falls apart. Brees of course accomplished a Pro Football Hall of Fame-worthy career in black and gold. Dalton spent a single year in New Orleans, having been signed to back up Jameis Winston before being given the starting job, and he ended that season with the worst offensive output the Saints had seen in decades. The jury is still out on Carr, but the early returns aren’t good.

Still, we’re missing the forest for the trees here. Klassen’s greater point is that Nix should be seen as a high-end backup who should probably be picked early in the second round of this year’s draft. That’s where Brees (drafted with the first pick of the second round), Dalton (the third pick in the second round), and Carr (the fourth pick in the second round) all went off the board. While Dalton and Carr both started as rookies, Brees didn’t, though it’s worth noting he played in a different era that took a more patient approach to young quarterbacks.

So does this mean Nix could end up wearing black and gold in New Orleans, too? Probably not this year. If he’s projected to be picked before the Saints go on the clock at No. 45 overall, he probably won’t make it to them. At the same time the Saints have been seen as a possibility to draft him. Quarterback is low on their list of needs but if they believe Nix has a chance at supplanting Carr in the next year or two, it shouldn’t shock anyone if they draft him.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Panthers QB Andy Dalton offers encouraging outlook for Bryce Young

Andy Dalton believes Bryce Young and the Panthers offense will be seeing better days in 2024.

With 13 years of pro experience under his belt, Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton has been there and done that in the NFL—and that’s why he’s here behind Bryce Young.

The veteran was recently featured on The Jim Rome Show, where he was asked about Young’s rough rookie campaign in 2023.

“Yeah, I thought he handled it well,” Dalton replied. “You know, he’s never in his life had a season like that and had to handle the adversity that he had to deal with. It was a tough year. And then you throw in losing your head coach after 11 games and changes on offense all the things that went into it, it was tough. So I think for him, I thought he handled it well, and I kept telling him, just stay the course.”

The No. 1 overall pick looked far from his billing, at least in the box score. Young finished the season having averaged just 179.8 passing yards per game with 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Oh, and the team’s 2-15 record wasn’t too great either.

Nonetheless, Dalton believes the lessons from last year, as well as the work done by the franchise’s new regime this offseason, will lead to a better 2024 for Young.

“This thing is going to get better, it’s going to improve,” he added. “And I think what we have done this offseason, bringing in some guys, bringing in a couple guards on the offensive line, you know, different things, trading for Diontae Johnson, I think it’s getting built the right way where, yeah, it’s going to set him up to have a better year.”

Along with their acquisition of the Pro Bowler in Johnson, the Panthers also invested heavily into Young’s interior protection. After having to start six different players at left guard and seven different players at right guard in 2023, Carolina dropped a whopping $153 million on the duo of Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt.

And with the front office having a pair of high second-round picks in their pocket, the Panthers could be prepared to bring Young even more help—especially out of a very, very deep receiver class.

[lawrence-related id=694980,694111,694063]

Report: Panthers could be landing spot for free-agent QB Drew Lock

Could Dave Canales’ Panthers be in the market for a new backup QB?

It’s already evident, even before the start of free agency, that head coach Dave Canales will help reconstruct the Carolina Panthers in his vision. And that vision could even include a new understudy to quarterback Bryce Young.

On Sunday morning, ESPN NFL insiders Jermey Fowler and Dan Graziano dropped off some last-minute intel ahead of the opening of this year’s negotiating window. The Panthers, of course, were linked to some potentially available wideouts—including Tee Higgins, Michael Pittman Jr., Calvin Ridley and Michael Gallup.

But they were also mentioned in the backup quarterback market, where Fowler wrote the following about Drew Lock:

. . . And watch for Lock in Carolina. He has strong ties to new coach Dave Canales.

Those “strong ties” emanated from their one year together with the Seattle Seahawks. Prior to joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as their offensive coordinator this past season, Canales served as Lock’s position coach out west in 2022.

So if the Panthers are indeed interested in Lock, then where would that leave current second-stringer Andy Dalton?

Dalton, who is easily one of the best backup options in the league, will be entering the second season of a two-year, $10 million pact in 2024. Well, that friendly deal could spark a trade, especially with so many quarterback-needy squads sniffing around for answers.

If a deal goes down and Dalton is designated as a pre-June 1 trade, Carolina—per Spotrac—could save approximately $1.1 million in salary cap space. They can also save some space with a post-June 1 release ($2 million) or a post-June 1 trade ($4 million).

[lawrence-related id=692686,692678,692634]

Andy Dalton listed higher than Bryce Young in 2023 QB rankings

Panthers backup Andy Dalton is listed above Bryce Young in NFL.com’s 2023 QB rankings.

Was Bryce Young even the best quarterback on his own team this year?

Around the NFL writer Nick Shook recently ranked each of the 66 quarterbacks who made at least one start during the 2023 campaign. The first Carolina Panthers passer comes in at No. 29, and it’s backup Andy Dalton.

Shook writes:

A Panthers QB broke 300 passing yards in just two games in 2023. Would you be shocked if I told you Bryce Young and Dalton split those games evenly? In his single start of the season, Dalton threw 58 passes while attempting to keep up with Seattle, and he handled the moment exactly how you might expect a 13-year veteran to. Carolina lost that game, but Dalton elevated a talent-poor Panthers offense to a height Young never reached as a rookie.

That start came in Week 3, when Young sat out with an ankle injury. His absence gave way to a 361-yard, two-touchdown outing from Dalton in a 37-27 loss to the Seahawks.

As for Young, we have to scroll down a bit to No. 44:

Look no further than Carolina’s hiring of Dave Canales to explain how Young fared in his rookie season. He was thrown behind an incredibly inconsistent offensive line and into an offense that lacked playmakers, and was expected to create miracles with it. Instead, he predictably struggled, often resorting to the hero plays that once won him a Heisman Trophy at Alabama, but don’t work in the NFL. The hope moving forward is that Young will get back on track under Canales, who worked wonders with Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay in 2023. We’ll see if that happens.

Well, at least Shook gave some appropriate context to Young’s rough rookie campaign.

The No. 1 overall pick averaged just 179.8 passing yards per game with 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. While he wasn’t exactly spectacular, he did suffer from an undermanned and often outmatched supporting cast.

Hopefully for the Panthers, their new head coach will help find some higher ground for their franchise quarterback.

[lawrence-related id=690733,690684,690587]

WATCH: Derek Carr throws first TD pass to Juwan Johnson in Week 15

WATCH: Derek Carr throws first touchdown pass to Juwan Johnson in Week 15

The New Orleans Saints took on the New York Giants in Week 15 of the NFL season on Sunday afternoon. During the third quarter, Derek Carr connected with Juwan Johnson for a 23-yard touchdown pass. It was the first time Carr found Johnson for a score this season.

There was some hype building around Johnson after he broke out last season, catching seven touchdowns from Andy Dalton and scoring four times the year before, but the consistency just hasn’t been there. The former Penn State and Oregon wide receiver-turned-tight end has only eclipsed 20 yards in three games this season. His first and only other receiving touchdown this season came from Taysom Hill.

As the Saints continued to try to get the offense into a rhythm, a positive step this week, Johnson will need to continue to emerge. The top offenses in the NFL have a reliable tight end and the Saints have been missing that factor.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Chris Tabor doesn’t think Bryce Young could benefit from being benched

Panthers interim HC Chris Tabor was asked if he sees any benefit to benching Bryce Young for Andy Dalton.

Carolina Panthers interim head coach Chris Tabor is not going to bench Bryce Young. He explained why on Monday.

Week 14 brought yet another frustratingly similar result for the now 1-12 Panthers, who ate a sour 28-6 loss at the hands of the New Orleans Saints. The defeat featured a particularly paltry passing performance, as the offense finished with of all 99 yards through the air.

During this afternoon’s talk with reporters, Tabor said he doesn’t believe benching Young would benefit the struggling rookie quarterback.

“Well, I think one way to become a better football player is playin’ football,” replied Tabor, who was asked about sitting Young for veteran Andy Dalton. “That’s a pretty simple statement. The only way you’re gonna gain experience in the National Football League is by playing.

“And I have a tremendous amount of confidence in Bryce. And I know that there’s plays that he’s gonna want back. But, no, that hasn’t come into play.”

Young offered up one of his worst games of the year, finishing with 137 passing yards and a season-low 36.1 percent completion rate. He was also, in an attempt to be more aggressive downfield, just 1 of 9 on throws of at least 20 air yards.

While a handful of those misses should be attributed to the misuse of hands from his wide receivers, there’s no skirting away from Young’s rough afternoon. But, as Tabor noted, it’ll be just another learning experience for the No. 1 overall pick.

[lawrence-related id=687152,687143,687094]

Saints’ opening drive touchdowns drought extends to 13 games

The Saints’ opening drive touchdowns drought extended to 13 games against the Panthers:

This isn’t how you play a winning brand of football. The New Orleans Saints ended their opening drive against the Carolina Panthers with a missed field goal from the 29-yard line — alone, that’s a bad thing (especially for rookie kicker Blake Grupe, who is now the only specialist in the NFL with multiple misses inside 30 yards), but in the big picture it’s part of a concerning trend.

It meant the Saints offense extended its opening-drive touchdowns drought to 13 consecutive games. Like every team, the Saints scrip their first 12 to 15 plays each week to test the opponent’s vulnerabilities and gauge how the defense will react to what they’re being shown. These are often your staple plays that can reliably pick up yards and, hopefully, put points on the scoreboard.

But the Saints haven’t scored a single touchdown during their opening drives with Derek Carr at quarterback. Look at the results through 13 games, as noted by ESPN’s Katherine Terrell:

  • Week 1: Successful field goal
  • Week 2: Punt
  • Week 3: Punt
  • Week 4: Missed field goal
  • Week 5: Punt
  • Week 6: Missed field goal
  • Week 7: Missed field goal
  • Week 8: Punt
  • Week 9: Punt
  • Week 10: Punt
  • Week 12: Punt
  • Week 13: Interception
  • Week 14: Missed field goal

That’s discouraging. It’s downright dispiriting that this same play caller, Pete Carmichael, organized touchdown-scoring drives on his first possession in three of the last four games last year with Andy Dalton at quarterback. The receiving corps and offensive line are near-identical to what the Saints finished the season with. So why are they regressing? Carr has a lot of work to do to prove the critics who said the Saints were making a lateral move wrong.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

3 of the NFL’s active pick-6 leaders have started at QB for Dennis Allen

Dennis Allen might have a type. Three of the NFL’s top-five leaders in interceptions returned for touchdowns have started for him at quarterback:

Does Dennis Allen have a type? Of the top five active quarterbacks in career pick-sixes (interceptions returned for touchdowns), three of them have started games for the New Orleans Saints at quarterback since Allen took over as head coach.

As noted by Nola.com’s Jeff Duncan, Andy Dalton ranks second among active passers with 18 pick-sixes in 169 games. Derek Carr is right behind him with 16 of them in 153 games. Jameis Winston rounds out the top-five with a dozen in 90 games.

Of course they aren’t alone; Kirk Cousins is also in the mix (14 in 150 games) and Matthew Stafford leads everyone with 30 of them in 201 games.

But it’s concerning that so many Saints quarterbacks rank high in this stat since Allen was promoted to head coach. He made the decision to sign Dalton in free agency last year and followed up by starting him for most of the season after Jameis Winston was injured and benched. It was Allen’s choice to recruit Carr to New Orleans this offseason, too.

Defenders typically don’t return an interception all the way to the end zone for a score, so this is more a ball security problem than anything. Carr has a career interceptions rate of 2%, but he’s whittled it down to 1.3% with the Saints this season. That doesn’t excuse his horrible ball placement on an interception against the Atlanta Falcons last week that was returned for a win-sealing touchdown. But we’ve got to acknowledge how critical his turnovers have been when they have occurred. Carr has thrown two pick-sixes this season against Atlanta and the Jacksonville Jaguars.

How does that compare to Dalton and Winston? Last year, Dalton threw an interception on 2.4% of his passes, which is near his career average (2.6%). And like Carr, his mistakes happened at critical times — just look at his two pick-sixes thrown against the Arizona Cardinals in the last two minutes before halftime.

As for Winston: his issues protecting the ball are well-documented, and his performance with the Saints the last two years speaks for itself. His career interceptions rate is 3.4% and he’s been picked off on 4.3% and a staggering 7.1% of his passes in the years since Sean Payton left the team. He’s only attempted 42 throws this year but he’s thrown more interceptions (3) than touchdowns (2) when asked to step in for Carr. He threw a pick-six against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season, too.

Allen’s choices of quarterbacks haven’t exactly meshed with the philosophy of a head coach who wants to run a conservative, run-first offense that can protect the ball and settle for field goals while trusting its defense to win games. Whether they’re not clutch or just unlucky, the Saints quarterbacks — especially Carr, the current unquestioned starter — must play better.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Blind test: How do the Saints’ post-Drew Brees quarterbacks stack up?

How do the Saints’ post-Drew Brees quarterbacks stack up? Ignore names and contracts and run the numbers in our blind test:

Life without Drew Brees has been hard on the New Orleans Saints. They’ve wandered the desert from one quarterback to the next, constantly searching for an oasis — only to stumble into one mirage after another.

When Derek Carr put pen to paper on a four-year, $150 million contract this offseason, it looked like the Saints had finally found what they were looking for. But their offense has left a lot to be desired with Carr under center, and comparing his performance to the quarterbacks who preceded him doesn’t paint a flattering picture.

Some quarterbacks (like Trevor Siemian) have a much smaller sample size than others. Some were only in New Orleans for one season (like Andy Dalton) while we have multiple years of data to work with for others (Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill). So while it isn’t the cleanest comparison, we’re looking at per-game averages and per-dropback stats as opposed to volume metrics to try and account for the variance in sample sizes.

And because this is a blind test, we’ll hide each quarterback’s identity until the end. We’re effectively taking the names off the jerseys to see how they stack up by the numbers, removing biases and factors like contracts and play callers. Here’s what we found, with the top performer in each category highlighted in bold text: