Former Carolina Panthers wide receiver Stevonne Latrall Smith Sr. is all praise for the young talent Bryce Young. In conversation with Robert Griffin III, the legend is seen rooting for Young and his potential but is uncertain when comparing him with one of the finest rookies, C.J. Stroud. 

As former Panthers head coach Frank Reich’s tenure ended, everything did not seem promising for Young since the players around him left Smith Sr. doubtful about his potential being appreciated. From this interview, the struggles of the Panthers during Reich’s reign come to the forefront.

Rookie woes of Bryce Young

In the latest RG3 And The Ones episode, Robert Griffin III had Steve Smith Sr. as his guest. Seeking his opinion on having confidence in Young, Smith Sr. looked to be all positive. However, there lies a bit of suspicion when he sees Young through a comparison lens, “I liked Bryce Young initially. I picked Bryce and said we should go with Bryce. That doesn’t mean that I think C.J. can’t play.” The last season was tough for the No.1 overall pick, especially after “Frank [Reich] gets fired.”

Reportedly, Young struggled in his first 10 charts and completed 61.7% of his passes for 1,877 yards. But the point of difference comes with his speed, as Smith Sr. acknowledges, “I said just like other people reported like Bryce’s, his processing was faster than C.J.’s.” However, his last prediction, “But at the end of the day, a smart kid can look dumb if he’s around a lot of dumb people,” left a note of how Young has found himself in an environment that does not support growth in any way. This opens up the discussion about what went wrong with the Panthers last season.

Panthers’ journey after Reich’s exit

As Carolina stepped into the 2023 season, they seemed to be poised under the mentorship of Reich. However, the franchise failed to hit the mark, resulting in a split between the coach and the Panthers. Even though the team seemed to have no expectations for Reich, they ran high in motivation as far as Young was concerned.

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Carolina owner David Tepper spoke in favor of the rookie, “We are totally confident in that pick. We were going to go with the No. 2 pick, and we thought we’d get C.J. because we thought the Texans were going to pick Bryce. Listen, we preferred Bryce. He was our No. 1 pick.” 

However, regarding Smith Sr.’s comment about “dumb” people is concerned, Young had been in a difficult situation with a sieve offensive line and receivers who don’t separate. Besides, Reich preferred an offense spread featuring four to five receivers, who failed to protect Young, leaving him vulnerable. Now, it is to be seen how the Panthers have dealt with the challenges and improvised themselves and how Young will channel this change for his growth. 

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