PHOENIX
Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales is known for his enthusiasm and optimism. He takes pride in a having a developmentally minded coaching staff.
But Canales isn’t necessarily pushing the idea of drafting a quarterback this month.
The team’s brass has routinely emphasized its support of starting quarterback Bryce Young throughout the offseason. On Monday, Canales also discussed his excitement in getting to work with new backup QB Kenny Pickett.
How about the intrigue of developing a young QB behind Young and Pickett? Not so much.
“Not really,” Canales told The Charlotte Observer during NFL annual meeting. “I prefer guys that have been trained. … Kenny Pickett’s been trained. I hope to accent his training.”
Despite his development-first mindset, Canales hasn’t worked with a drafted quarterback from scratch in quite some time. While Young was in his second season when Canales took over in 2024, project passers have mostly eluded the head coach.
Jack Plummer, who is now playing for the United Football League’s Orlando Storm, spent the bulk of the 2024 season on the practice squad as a third arm. Otherwise, journeymen like Mike White and Hendon Hooker have taken on that role.
“If we draft a guy, there’s going to be a lot of time invested,” Canales said. “That’s a great opportunity for (newly promoted pass game coordinator) Mike Bercovici to be all-hands on deck. We’ve got to teach him everything. And all of us will be involved in helping him, but I just love bringing in a third (QB) whose had playing time experience and been around a couple of spots.”
Canales has worked with the likes of Sean Mannion, John Wolford, Kyle Trask and Austin Davis during his coaching career. Geno Smith, who eventually became the starting QB in Seattle, also fit the mold of journeyman passer.
The head coach enjoys learning about the experiences of journeyman backups. Those conversations can lead to new perspectives and different approaches.
“‘So, you were in L.A., tell me about that. When you were in Buffalo, how did you handle this particular protection?’ And these guys just bring such a flavor of like other ways to do things,” Canales said.
But just because Canales prefers experience over upside with his depth QBs, it doesn’t mean the Panthers will pass on a potential project in the draft.
The Panthers should have quite a few options if they go down that road, especially if they’re looking to save some cash for the long haul. And there’s no shame in investing a late-round pick on a prospect at the most important position in the sport.
The Charlotte Observer
Mike Kaye writes about the Carolina Panthers for The Charlotte Observer. He also co-hosts “Processing Blue: A Panthers Podcast” for The Observer. Kaye’s work in columns/analysis and sports feature writing has been honored by the North Carolina Press Association (NCPA). His reporting has also received recognition from the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE).Kaye previously covered the entire NFL for Pro Football Network, the Philadelphia Eagles for NJ Advance Media and the Jacksonville Jaguars for First Coast News. Support my work with a digital subscription