The Carolina Panthers changed the trajectory of their franchise with one move this offseason. They acquired the No. 1 overall pick from the Chicago Bears, trading away four draft picks and wide receiver D.J. Moore to get the deal.
With the first overall pick, the Panthers selected quarterback Bryce Young out of Alabama. Carolina has been seeking a franchise quarterback for a few years and is hoping that Young fills that void.
With him now entrenched as the future of the franchise, other moves could be made at the position. One player whose future is up in the air is Matt Corral. Corral was a third-round pick of the Panthers in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Ole Miss.
He didn’t have a chance to showcase his talent as a rookie as he missed the entire season after suffering a Lisfranc injury during the preseason.
With Young joining the team, there is now zero chance that Corral takes over as the team’s starting quarterback.
With veteran Andy Dalton currently No. 1 on the depth chart and likely to be Young’s backup once he ascends to the No. 1 spot, there isn’t much room for the Ole Miss product on the roster. Landing with a different franchise is likely Corral’s best chance at getting on the field.
However, that isn’t something that he is looking to have happen. “I don’t want to get traded,” Corral said, per NFL.com’s Grant Gordon. “I love the people here, I love the people that I’m around.”
Alas, while Corral doesn’t want to get traded, deep down he has to know that is what is best for him. There are a few franchises around the league that could use a potential long-term option.
One of those teams is the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams were named as a potential landing spot for Corral by Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report. What could a trade between the Panthers and Rams look like? Knox suggested Carolina send Corral to Los Angeles in exchange for a 2024 fifth-round pick.
The Rams make a lot of sense as a landing spot for Corral. Matthew Stafford is 35 years old and retirement talk began surrounding him this offseason.
The only other quarterback on the roster for the Rams currently is 2023 fourth-round pick Stetson Bennett. Competing against Bennett is a much easier route to playing time as the only chance he has of breaking into the Panthers’ lineup is an injury to Young. He may love the organization that drafted him, but backup quarterback is likely his ceiling in his current situation. If he wants more, the Rams could present him with that chance.
