Carolina Panthers Called ‘Dark Horse’ Candidate to Land Deshaun Watson

The Carolina Panthers are currently looking for their next franchise quarterback.

After missing out on Matthew Stafford, who was just traded to the Rams last week, the Panthers are now forced into the other options on the table.

One of those options could include Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. The relationship between the former Clemson quarterback and team management in Houston has soured in recent months and Watson has reportedly asked to be traded.

NFL Network Insider Ian Rappaport says a trade for Watson would be an intriguing move for the Panthers.

“One of the teams that was very much in the mix here trying to get former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford was the Carolina Panthers,” Rappaport said. “They now are still searching for their next franchise quarterback. From what I understand their best two options are this, try to get Deshaun Watson they really are best described as a dark horse, a really intriguing potential location for Deshaun Watson.”

If the Panthers can not work out a deal to land Watson from Houston, Rappaport says they will go the route of taking one in the draft. With a top-ten pick at their disposal, Carolina should have no issues finding a quarterback to suit their needs.

“Or they still have a Top-10 pick, doing a lot of work on the draft guys,” Rappaport said. “I would not be surprised if they end up selecting a quarterback very early in this coming draft.”