What to Expect From New Panthers QB Andy Dalton

A look at Carolina's new quarterback.

The Panthers' quarterback room will look vastly different in 2023 as Sam Darnold (49ers) and PJ Walker (Bears) exit, and Andy Dalton and a TBD rookie enter.

Carolina toyed around with the idea of potentially adding veteran Derek Carr, but their plan all along was to go the rookie route. The only problem was, they were sitting at No. 9 in the draft order which didn't guarantee them landing one of the top four quarterbacks in this class. GM Scott Fitterer took care of that problem last Friday by trading a haul of picks in addition to wide receiver DJ Moore to Chicago in exchange for the No. 1 pick. 

Now, the Panthers have their choice of Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson, or Will Levis to be the new face of the franchise. Regardless of who the front office and coaching staff settle on, they will be walking into a very good situation in that they have several quality coaches to work with such as Josh McCown, Thomas Brown, Parks Frazier, Jim Caldwell, and Franke Reich. Plus, he will have a 12-year veteran to lean on and learn from in Andy Dalton. 

Depending on who the Panthers take at one will determine what role Dalton will serve next fall. If it's Richardson or Levis, one can assume that Dalton would begin the season as the starter. If it's Young or Stroud, well, he'll probably be the backup right out of the gate.

Again, either way, the Panthers are in a much better situation quarterback-wise than they were a year ago and maybe since 2018.

So, what exactly can we expect from Andy Dalton? I reached out to our Saints publisher to get a little info on him.

Analysis from Kyle T. Mosley of Saints News Network:

"Andy Dalton, 35, was a stabilizing presence for the New Orleans Saints after Jameis Winston's injuries and shaky three-game performance. He was a consummate professional for an offense attempting to find an identity after Sean Payton's departure. Dalton understood OC Pete Carmichael's offense well, communicated effectively, and mentored young teammates. Even though the Red Rifle was 6-8 as a starter, he did his best to position the Saints' offense to win. However, he would get into trouble attempting to place the football into tight windows and, several times, couldn't rally the team for a comeback win. As a journeyman, could he be a good placeholder should the Panthers draft a young quarterback? Yes. However, don't expect the Red Rifle to deliver a Lombardi Trophy to Carolina."

Dalton has been rock-solid throughout his entire career. He's never been a top-tier quarterback by any means, but he's someone that will put his team in a position to win more often than not. Carolina doesn't need him to be Superman. They need that from the guy they take at No. 1. They just need Dalton to come in and be a good mentor and potentially hold the fort down for a few weeks until the staff is ready to hand over the keys to the rookie.

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