Today is “Thursday Night Football,” and the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears are the main teams. Who won the deal that changed the 2023 NFL draft?
Let’s look at the deal again:
The Panthers got the first pick from the Bears and chose quarterback Bryce Young over C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson.
In the 2023 draft, the Bears got Carolina’s first- and second-round picks, numbers 9 and 61. They also got a first-round pick in 2024, a second-round pick in 2025, and wide receiver DJ Moore.
It was also a rough draft for the Bears, who traded both of Carolina’s picks. The 10th pick went to Darnell Wright, who will be the starting right tackle, and the 56th pick went to Tyrique Stevenson, who will be the starting cornerback.
Before their Week 10 game, the Panthers and Bears had a joint 3-14 record, which shows that they are still rebuilding their franchises.
They chose a quarterback. Did they make the right choice?
The Panthers’ owner, David Tepper, picked Young over Stroud, who was picked second by the Houston Texans. Also, Panthers coach Frank Reich has been adamant about supporting Young, even though he usually coaches quarterbacks who are bigger.
Reich said before the Panthers beat the Texans this season, “My eyes and our eyes were on Bryce Young from start to finish.”
You can get a sense of the leader and the player by watching the film and talking to the man. You can also see how he fits into our plans for the offense, the team, and the company as a whole. We found the guy. Texas must be happy that they found the right person.
Young has made seven starts and has a 1-6 record. He has completed 63.9% of his passes, gaining 1,375 yards and eight scores while throwing seven interceptions. Young is placed 29th out of 32 starts as a quarterback with a 77.1 rating. He has also been sacked 26 times, which is tied for fourth most in the NFL.
Stroud has made eight starts and is 4-4. He has completed 62% of his passes, thrown for 2,270 yards, 14 touchdowns, and one interception. The NFL’s fourth-best quarterback, Stroud, has been sacked 18 times, which is the 17th most in the league.
Early in their NFL careers, it would be too soon to judge which choice was better between Young and Stroud after only the first half of the season. The Texans have a few more pieces in place, like help on the offensive line, that have helped Stroud do well. On the other hand, the Panthers need to fill positions to help Young do well.
What did the Panthers get out of the trade?
So far, not so good. Because of their flaws, the Panthers have the second-worst record in the NFL. There was a star receiver on their team that they had to trade, so they sent Moore to the Bears to make the deal happen.
Even though the Panthers still have work to do, they are happy with their choice to draft Young after that trade with the Bears.
Reich talked about the trade this week: “When you find your quarterback, you have to go all in and not look back.”
“You have to be ready to make a deal for the quarterback you want when you find one.” Making progress toward becoming a great team, and getting your quarterback is a big deal.
What did the Bears get out of the trade?
This season, Justin Fields’ broken thumb has slowed Chicago’s rebuild. He will miss his fourth game on Thursday because of it. But the truth is that they also need to fix a few things before they can move on to the next step in their mending process. It’s not clear if the Bears have made the best decisions, but they have been bold.
The Bears traded their No. 9 and No. 61 picks for Wright, the No. 10 pick who has started all 16 games at right tackle, and Stevenson, the No. 10 pick who has started all 16 games at cornerback. These are two very important spots that the Bears need to fill.
The Bears gave up a fifth-round pick to move up five spots in the second round and got a fourth-round pick in 2024 in exchange. This let them move back one spot in the first round. That being said, the Philadelphia Eagles picked up great defensive lineman Jalen Carter with the ninth pick.
The Bears put more emphasis on their QB and offensive line than their defensive line in the draft. They also made changes to their defensive line last week at the trade deadline. Mountain Sweat is a defensive tackle that the Bears signed to a $98 million, four-year deal. In exchange, they sent a 2024 second-round pick to the Washington Commanders.
What team did the Bears-Panthers trade win?
So far, the conclusion is: Chicago.
It’s still too early to tell if the Panthers or Bears “won” their deal, just like with Young-Stroud.
But after the move, Chicago is better than Carolina because: The Bears can use Carolina’s first-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft. This pick could be one of the top three. The Bulls can also use Carolina’s 2025 second-round pick.
If the draft happened this week, Chicago would have the second and third picks. If the right players are picked, that kind of ability could really speed up the Bears’ rebuild.