The Cleveland Browns have an opening to reset at quarterback after the Carolina Panthers shelved former No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young.
Carolina dropped the shocking news on Monday, September 16, just two games into Young’s second NFL season.
https://twitter.com/TomPelissero/status/1835736746367005042
“Sources: The #Panthers are benching former No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young and starting Andy Dalton beginning this week,” Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported via X. “Coach Dave Canales has repeatedly said ‘Bryce is our quarterback.’ But with the season quickly slipping away, Canales decided to make the change.”
The Panthers now have essentially no choice but to deal Young, as he appears to have regressed in Year 2 and the trust between head coach and second-year quarterback has been broken.
Carolina pretty well nuked Young’s trade value by benching him before shopping him, which is good news for a team like Cleveland that should be looking for a youthful reset under center given all of Deshaun Watson’s woes since joining the team in 2022.
However, given Young’s standing as a former No. 1 pick, he will still cost a significant amount on the trade market. The Browns can make a quality offer because they can throw in second-year QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who they selected in the fifth round the same year Carolina picked Young in the first.
Thompson-Robinson has put together two quality preseasons and has significant experience, appearing in eight games during his rookie campaign in 2023 and earning three starts (1-2). Cleveland owns all of its own picks in rounds 1-4 of next year’s draft, along with three sixth-rounders and a seventh-rounder.
Packaging Thompson-Robinson with either a second-round or third-round pick in 2025 plus one of those sixth-round selections might be enough to bring Young into the fold in Cleveland.
Bryce Young Was Elite at Alabama, Could Be Again in Place Like Cleveland
Young won the Heisman Trophy with the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2021 and was good enough at the collegiate level in 2022 that the Panthers selected him over C.J. Stroud, now the QB of the Houston Texans and the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023.
Young threw for 4,872 yards and 47 TDs during his Heisman campaign, following that up with north of 3,300 yards and 32 TDs the following year, per Football Reference. He hasn’t been as successful in the NFL, completing just shy of 60% of his passes for 2,877 yards 11 TDs and 10 INTs during his rookie season.
That said, the Panthers had a terrible roster in 2023 and several holes remain this season. Young needs, and will undoubtedly get, a new start somewhere else in the league. If that destination is Cleveland, the QB will have the benefit of quality pass catchers and a high-achieving defense to help him develop into the pro that so many predicted he could be just a year and a half ago.
Browns May Be Looking for Chance to Move on From Deshaun Watson
Watson hasn’t been worth the trouble since the Browns gave up three first-round picks, plus several other draft assets, to acquire him from the Texans in 2022 and then paid the QB $230 million guaranteed on a five-year deal.
After missing 11 games in each of the past two seasons, Watson finds himself again embroiled in off-the-field controversy as yet another allegation of sexual misconduct has arisen in a new lawsuit. When Watson has been on the field, he’s been bad — and that hasn’t changed in 2024.
Through two games, Watson has completed 58.2% of his passes for 355 yards, 1 TD and 2 INTs. The Browns are 1-1 on the year.
Cleveland may be stuck paying Watson for the remainder of his deal, as he has a negative trade value. However, they could release him at no extra cost and elevate Jameis Winston into the starting role. By doing so, then trading for Young, the Browns could reset the QB room with Winston at No. 1 and Young at No. 2, with plans to transition to Young long-term in 2025.
It only works if Cleveland believes it can salvage Young as a prospect. However, the Browns have a reputation for taking fliers on first-round talents who didn’t work out in their first NFL stops, and Young is the ultimate example of such a player as the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft who was just benched after only 19 games in the league.
