![]() ![]() Dalton understands his place in the league That’s a winning combination for a bridge quarterback during a short stretch. While the Panthers won’t want Dalton starting into late November, he has the ability to lead an offense, make plays and avoid turnovers. If the rookie needs to miss the first three games of the season - like Collins did in 1995 - Dalton can fill the “two of three” win quota. In fact, Dalton has three more wins as a starter than Sam Darnold (10-19) over the past three seasons, so the 35-year-old is already an upgrade for Carolina - and he’s likely to spend most of the season as a backup. If the Panthers’ rookie quarterback isn’t ready to start on Week 1, Carolina could do much worse than Dalton at the top of the totem pole. Last season, Dalton went 6-8 as a starter for a mediocre Saints team, and he received a strong 82.1 grade from Pro Football Focus during his performance throughout the season. ![]() While that sample size isn’t anything to write home about, Dalton has been one of the better backups in the NFL since his step-back in league status. He has started 29 of those matchups and posted a 13-16 record. Since leaving Cincinnati, Dalton has appeared in 33 games. From Dallas to Chicago to New Orleans, Dalton found his way onto the field as a replacement or bridge starter. While Dalton is more than three years removed from being a franchise starting quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals, he still has played quite a bit during the past three seasons. And the good thing is there’s a lot of guys out there like that.”ĭalton seemingly checks off every box on Reich’s list for the role. “And then secondarily, he needs to be the right guy to help a guy - not help coach a guy, there are coaches - but just the right chemistry in the room. “A lot of guys will talk, if the starter’s out for three (games), can the backup win two out of the three? Is it a winning backup - can he play winning football? That’s what they’re here to do. “First of all, you got to be able to play and win - that’s first and foremost,” Reich said. Last month at the NFL Scouting Combine, Reich made it what he was looking for in a veteran backup quarterback. And while Dalton might lead the team for a shorter period than even Reich’s three-game stretch in 1995, his presence on the depth chart will have a huge impact on the future of the franchise. Reich served as a bridge starter during the franchise’s inaugural season before giving way to Kerry Collins. Panthers head coach Frank Reich has been in the role that Dalton will inherit this offseason. And that was a smart decision on the part of the Panthers. On Tuesday, Andy Dalton was chosen for the role. Naturally, they also assured the free-agent market that they would be adding an experienced veteran quarterback in free agency to pair with the incoming rookie signal-caller. When the Panthers traded up to the first overall pick last week, they made it clear to themselves and the rest of the league that they would undoubtedly be selecting a rookie quarterback prospect in April. ![]()
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