The New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers entered the 2024 campaign neck and neck, just not in a competition fans wanted to win.
New England and Carolina, in that order, previously held the shortest betting odds to land the top overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The two also represented two of the lowest projected win totals.
There have been noteworthy developments regarding the two squads just two games into the season. The Patriots already earned their first win and have been competitive in each of their two contests. Meanwhile, the Panthers on Monday announced they will replace quarterback Bryce Young, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, with veteran Andy Dalton.
Could it have an impact on the Patriots? No, not in the sense of title aspirations or playoff berths. But it might as it relates to the 2025 NFL Draft.
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Because while the Patriots are staring down a .500 record and just one defensive stop away from 2-0, it's no certainty New England maintains its start. The Patriots' offensive line is every bit of a concern it was expected to be and injuries seem to already be piling up.
Jerod Mayo's team still represents the fourth-shortest projected win total (6.5). New England is behind only the Panthers (3.5), New York Giants (4.5) and Denver Broncos (5.5). The Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams, Tennessee Titans and Washington Commanders all are tied with the Patriots, per FanDuel Sportsbook.
The Panthers are making the move to Dalton because they feel the veteran signal-caller gives them a better chance to compete in the short-term. And if Dalton comes in and steers the ship, there's a chance Carolina stacks a few wins and falls in the NFL draft order.
Dalton isn't stepping into the worst situation either. Carolina has the fifth-best pass-blocking grade, per Pro Football Focus. They also have a group of skill-position players including Diontae Johnson, Adam Thielen and first-round wideout Xavier Legette. Young's regression this season was more on the second-year quarterback than anything else.
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This obviously isn't to say Dalton is all of a sudden going to turn the Panthers into a Super Bowl contender (700-1 to win) or team with playoff aspirations (18-1 to make playoffs). But could Dalton and company eclipse four of five wins? Any such result could turn out to be a good thing for the Patriots.
Featured image via Bob Donnan/Imagn Images
