The city of Indianapolis was abuzz with rumors and gossip due to the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine.

Despite the excitement surrounding this event, it's well worth remembering that not all the hype has merit.

Some of these rumors are simply baseless, while others are intentional misdirection or subterfuge by teams hoping to conceal their true plans for the upcoming draft.

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With that in mind, let's examine some of the most buzz-worthy rumors that began circulating at the combine, highlighting which appear to be true and which should be written off.

 

Carolina Panthers Plan to Be Aggressive

The Carolina Panthers are in desperate need of a franchise quarterback. While they managed to play their way into postseason contention last year by overperforming under interim head coach Steve Wilks, that inspiring showing ultimately cost the club a valuable draft position.

Holding the No. 9 overall selection, Carolina is currently stuck behind several other QB-needy squads—a group that potentially includes as many teams as the Houston Texans (No. 2), Indianapolis Colts (No. 4), Seattle Seahawks (No. 5), Detroit Lions (No. 6), Las Vegas Raiders (No. 7) and Atlanta Falcons (No. 8)—in a draft that ESPN's Mel Kiper only has four quarterbacks coming off the board in the first round during.

Carolina's current draft conundrum could lead the club to move up several spots. ESPN's Dan Graziano called the Panthers a team to "keep an eye on" when it comes to trading up for a quarterback.

Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer wouldn't tip his hand, but did admit that he plans to aggressively pursue a signal-caller if there is conviction in their potential to become a franchise cornerstone.

Given Matt Corral—a third-round pick last year who is still recovering from Lisfranc surgery—is the only quarterback on Carolina's roster currently and the general lack of truly franchise-altering free-agent talents available on the open market, the Panthers should find it easy to drum up some conviction for a QB prospect in this draft.

Verdict: Buy the Panthers Aggressively Pursuing a Quarterback in the 2023 Draft.