The answer to that won't come for some time, but it's clear that Darnold is walking into a better situation than the one he left via trade. And if it ends up being true that the biggest hurdle for Darnold wasn't himself, but his lack of help, this trade will end up being a boon for the Panthers.
As far as Rhule is concerned, the tape holds up -- at least the flashes of potential within it.
"I don't think there's a game that you watch where he doesn't make a play that makes you say 'There it is,'" Rhule said. "I think his arm talent and his movement are a great fit for the players that we have here that he'll be playing with."
Darnold joins a Panthers offense that includes former Jets teammate Robby Anderson and is coordinated by Joe Brady, the offensive wunderkind who once oversaw Joe Burrow's leap from passable signal-caller at LSU to Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick. If Brady and Rhule can have a similar effect on Darnold, Carolina will have acquired its franchise quarterback. The Panthers likely wouldn't have made such a move if they didn't believe such an outcome was possible, with Rhule saying as much Monday, telling reporters "we think he can play at a really high level."
Darnold expects the same of himself, even after wading through the football abyss that was the Jets for the last three years.
"I think, for me, any time you go somewhere and you set lofty goals and those goals aren't met, that's always tough for me. When I heard the news that they wanted to trade me, it was tough," Darnold said of the Jets. "Any time you're not wanted somewhere, that's always a tough pill to swallow.
"But then it was the opposite feeling. You go from being unwanted, and then all of a sudden the people in Carolina wanted me and obviously traded for me, and you go from being unwanted to wanted. ... When the trade went down, obviously like I said, things didn't work out the way I wanted to in New York, but I was just so excited for a fresh start and a new opportunity. It was bittersweet, but meeting the people around here and getting to know everyone, what the agenda is around here, I'm just very thrilled and excited to get going."
While it's not yet set in stone, it's possible Darnold, Rhule, Brady and Co. will have the benefit of an offseason that wasn't afforded to them a year ago, just months before Rhule began his first season as an NFL head coach. That time will be valuable for both the staff and Darnold as they begin to build a rapport that they hope will take their offense to new heights.
For now, the potential remains as high as the optimism in the building. Time will tell whether Darnold's play reaches the same level.
April 13, 2021 at 01:52AM
https://www.nfl.com/news/sam-darnold-excited-for-a-fresh-start-in-carolina-after-uncertainty-drove-him-in
Sam Darnold 'excited for a fresh start' in Carolina after uncertainty drove him 'insane' in New York - NFL.com
https://news.google.com/search?q=fresh&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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