When the Chicago Bears drafted Justin Fields, they had recently signed veteran quarterback Andy Dalton. Dalton was in Chicago to serve as a bridge, theoretically. Instead, a coach and GM on the hot seat turned to Dalton as their starter, taking valuable reps away from Justin Fields. That was one major gripe that I have with that Bears regime. They sacrificed a portion of Fields’ development to save their jobs. Now Dalton is in Carolina, where Bryce Young is the QB of the future. The Panthers are not making the same mistake that the Bears did. On Thursday, Panthers head coach Frank Reich announced that Bryce Young will be QB1 in Carolina, starting now.
Bryce Young took all the first-team reps during Thursday’s OTA practice. Head coach Frank Reich said he and GM Scott Fitterer targeted this week as the time to transition to push Young atop the depth chart above Andy Dalton. Hats off to Reich and Fitterer for having the conviction to do so. This is just the latest in a line of moves that the Panthers have made this offseason that have impressed me. So much so that I have an uneasy feeling about the 2024 first-rounder that the Panthers sent to the Bears in the trade that made Bryce Young a Panther.
Before Thursday, Young and Dalton split first-team reps during the Panthers’ offseason program. According to Reich, both quarterbacks were told about the move last week. At one time, Frank Reich was QB1 in Carolina. However now he’s tasked with grooming the position’s future, Bryce Young. I find the storyline fascinating. Reich said that he and Fitterer felt that it was “just the right time to move Young up on the depth chart. “It’s just the next step, right?” Reich said after OTAs on Thursday.
Young spoke to the media on Thursday and said that moving up on the depth chart isn’t something that will change how he approaches things. The young quarterback said he has faith in the coaching staff’s decisions and will show up to work and do his job. Young praised Andy Dalton for his mentorship since they reported to the Panthers offseason program.
“Andy’s been amazing,” Young said. “I’ve been able to throw all my questions at him, bounce a lot of stuff off of (him). He tells me how he processes things, how he sees things. I’ve had a lot of conversations, and I definitely am grateful for him to be here, to have him here, and to have learned from him, to keep learning from (him) day in and day out. I learn stuff from him every day, whether it’s in the meeting room or on the practice field. So I’m super grateful to have him here.”
More from Frank Reich on the decision to elevate Bryce Young to QB1 this week:
You can add the Patriots to the list of potential DeAndre Hopkins landing spots. Ian Rapoport reported this morning that Hopkins will visit the Patriots next week after visiting with the Titans.
Former #AZCardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins is set to visit the #Patriots next week, sources say. This is after his #Titans visit, as Hopkins’ free agent market heats up. New England could add a top pass-catcher for Mac Jones. pic.twitter.com/ip2KCk2pLN— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 9, 2023
New England was a team that called the Cardinals regarding a trade for Hopkins this offseason. So, they make sense for a couple of reasons. Mac Jones could use a receiver like Hopkins after a rough 2022 season. New Patriots offensive Coordinator Bill O’Brien was Hopkins’ head coach in Houston. Hopkins was an All-Pro three times in O’Brien’s offense in Houston. The Patriots seem like a very nice fit for Hopkins, and they have the cap room to make it happen. New England has $13.6 million in cap space right now. So, they would likely have to make a move to clear more, but they’re close now.
Speaking of the salary cap, SI’s Albert Breer put together a thread on Twitter with each team’s current cap space as of Thursday morning. This is a handy one for the bookmark folder on Twitter.
There’s been some trade chatter regarding Raiders’ wide receiver Hunter Renfrow lately. However, The Athletic’s Tashan Reed reported on Thursday that, according to a league source, the Raiders haven’t received any trade offers for Renfrow. Renfrow was a full participant at Raiders practice on Thursday despite leaving early on Wednesday, which added to the trade speculation.
Through OTAs, the #Raiders most fluid position group has been defensive tackle.
Bills safety Damar Hamlin participated in the team’s OTAs this week. He was able to participate in drills but Buffalo hasn’t had him begin tackling (which is par for the course at the point), but the Bills are impressed with his progress to this point. “Really proud of him to take that next step.” Beane said. “He put the helmet on the last practice last week and texted his parents afterward. Just so proud of him and thrilled for where he’s at in his journey. He’s still got more milestones to hit.”
"I'm so proud of Damar and thrilled for where he's at in his journey."
Patrick grew up in Chicago's Bridgeport and Garfield Ridge neighborhoods before moving to the Western Suburbs of Chicago before eventually relocating to the Las Vegas area with his family in 2023. He started with Bleacher Nation in 2021 and has spent time as a Staff Writer and on the Chicago Blackhawks beat. He is currently a writer and editor at Bleacher Nation covering the Chicago Bears and the NFL at large and the author of the Bleacher Nation Newsletter. Patrick is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA).
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