Why did Panthers curve Lamar Jackson? Carolina GM reveals franchise’s game plan
Lamar Jackson continues to see NFL teams ignore him, and one of the first to reportedly be out of the conversation was the Carolina Panthers. Well before they traded for the No. 1 pick, they opted not to even pursue Jackson.
The former MVP winner would have been a nice addition to the Panthers, but they opted not to even try. Now, of course, with the top pick in the draft, they're not even able to go after him.
GM Scott Fitterer was recently asked why the team didn't even bother looking into Jackson as an option.
Panthers GM Scott Fitterer was asked whether the team considered pursuing Lamar Jackson: "He's a great option. He's a really expensive option. But we're more focused on the draft picks right now."
Per Field Yates, Fitterer said this:
"He's a great option. He's a really expensive option. But we're more focused on the draft picks right now."
Jackson would have made the Panthers instant contenders, but he does come with a high price tag. He would have crippled Carolina's cap situation, which it has used to sign Hayden Hurst, Adam Thielen and Miles Sanders this offseason.
However, Fitterer mentioned the picks he was more interested in and most of those picks went to Chicago. The No. 1 pick is very valuable and it's clearly something the Panthers wanted way more than they wanted Jackson.
Be it collusion or some other factor, teams are just not interested in meeting Lamar Jackson's price tag. The Panthers really never even gave it a second thought.
Should the Panthers have pursued Lamar Jackson?
Given that several teams were interested and tried to trade for the Chicago Bears' No. 1 pick, the Panthers had to act fast. However, they still probably should have legitimately considered looking into Lamar Jackson.
Jackson would have been very expensive, but he's an MVP-caliber player in his prime. Additionally, they wouldn't have had to trade DJ Moore, who could easily have been Jackson's best wide receiver to date.
Is the duo of Jackson, Moore and a mid-level running back a better option than either Bryce Young or CJ Stroud and Adam Thielen, Miles Sanders and Hayden Hurst? The Panthers certainly didn't think so, but it probably should have warranted more time looking into it.