The Carolina Panthers are being linked to a controversial quarterback by ESPN.
The NFL's supplemental draft usually doesn't draw a lot of attention. But this year is a lot different.
With the Brendan Sorsby saga taking another turn, the quarterback is now leaving Texas Tech and is entering the supplemental draft set for July. He's a talented quarterback that will get selected by some team and will get his crack at the NFL.
But will it be a surprise team?
As the Sorsby news broke this week, ESPN has released its list of potential suitors for the quarterback. And to no one's surprise, the Carolina Panthers were on the list.
ESPN lists Carolina Panthers as a suitor for Brendan Sorsby
Here is what ESPN's Benjamin Solak had to say about the Panthers after naming them No. 2 among the suitors:
The Panthers are oddly thin at quarterback for June, as behind Bryce Young they have only Kenny Pickett, Will Grier and Haynes King. Much of what coach Dave Canales does for Young -- getting the ball out of his hands fast with big one-on-one winners on the outside -- would work for Sorsby. And Sorsby could contend with Pickett for the QB2 job while getting up to speed on the under-center aspect of Canales' offense. But if Sorsby were forced into action, Canales has run plenty of shotgun RPOs to take advantage of Young's fast release and natural footwork, and Sorsby brings much of the same.
It makes sense for the Panthers to take a shot on a quarterback with high upside. BUT, Sorsby comes with major baggage. Sorsby has been in a gambling scandal after admitting in placing over $90,000 in bets during his college football career. He spent time at both Indiana and Cincinnati before transferring to Texas Tech.
In April, Sorsby entered rehab for gambling after the news broke that he was placing bets. Then in May, he filed an injuction against the NCAA to get his eligibility back.
From there, that injuction was granted, giving him a chance to play. But since then Texas Tech has received a lot of backlash, deservedly so which left him to leave the program and enter this draft.
For Carolina, they would be taking a chance on a quarterback with upside. With questions surrounding Bryce Young and a long-term extension, it couldn't hurt to at least make a bid for Sorsby, could it?
