Examining the players the Panthers could trade away prior to the NFL trade deadline.
The Panthers could look to sell on some of the players they have in order to acquire valuable draft assets in 2024. We take a look at what kind of value they could get.
The Panthers gave up quite a bit of draft capital during the 2023 NFL Draft to acquire Bryce Young. Now, they need to start building a team around him. Short of a miracle run after their bye week, their chances of making the playoffs are slim at 0-6, even if the NFC South continues its trend of every team not wanting to win the division. The Panthers were rumored to be shopping around for a wide receiver, though reports later came out stating they wouldn’t likely part with draft capital in that pursuit. I believe they could look to trade some players, though I’m not entirely sure what kind of value they’d get since teams know they need draft capital and their season is all but done. I’m going to take a crack at identifying some potential players they could look at dealing away at the trade deadline. While players in return (such as a wide receiver) could certainly be in play, for this exercise I am going to stick with just draft picks.
Miles Sanders was one of the bigger names the Panthers signed in free agency this offseason, one heavily influenced by Assistant HC Duce Staley. However, he’s been banged up and currently Chuba Hubbard has outperformed him in many instances. While I think the offense could get into a groove after the bye week and the return of Austin Corbett to the lineup, Sanders style of running hasn’t translated well with the Panthers so far. The Panthers would unfortunately be on the hook for his 5.9 million dollar signing bonus in this scenario, which makes me think it is unlikely unless they get a decent offer.
WR Terrace Marshall Jr.
Potential compensation: 2024 6th round pick
The Panthers reportedly granted Marshall permission to seek a trade, which isn’t surprising given they somehow didn’t get him in the game week 5 after a 9 catch outing the previous week. However, given his historical production, I don’t really see him fetching more than day 3 capital or being part of a player swap or package deal. I’m not even sure I’m an advocate of trading him at this point. If Thomas Brown can keep him more involved in the offense, his trade market may be better going into the offseason. I also would like to give him a chance to develop alongside Bryce Young, but if he’s unhappy and can find a trade partner, fine.
Edge Brian Burns
Potential compensation: 2024 1st round pick, 2025 2nd round pick
At this point, the Panthers made a mistake by not trading Brian Burns to the Rams last season, and then proceeding to not lock him up ASAP to a long term deal. Now, he’s looking for the next top edge rusher money, even if his performance isn’t currently warranting it. A team making a trade like this in this instance is either a team that sorely needs an edge rusher, or is going for broke for a Super Bowl this season or next. In the second scenario, the Panthers are likely getting a pick at the back of the first round. The Panthers may choose to simply sit on Burns til the offseason, assign the franchise tag, and begin negotiations again, but that will likely cost them even more money unless Burns comes down significantly on his request. The biggest thing working against the Panthers here is there’s some team out there willing to pay him top dollar, as edge rushers work similar to quarterbacks in that regard. It may be time to bite the bullet and simply move on. They may be able to swing a player or two instead of draft compensation as well. They could use, well, just about every position right now.
LB Frankie Luvu
Potential compensation: 2024/2025 2nd round pick
Before you go grabbing your pitchforks, no I do not want the Panthers to trade Frankie. At the same time though, if the objective is to acquire draft capital, selling high on him right before he would be up for an extension would be the ideal move. Luvu has been banged up but he’s still in the conversation for top player on this defense. A team with an injury there could come calling, and I think its a conversation that you at least listen to. I would hope they don’t give him up without walking away with at least a day 2 pick, however his contract status could be a stopping point there.
DB Jeremy Chinn
Potential compensation: 2024 4th round pick
The Panthers may have been able to get a 1st if they sold following his rookie season, however since then multiple coaching staffs haven’t figured out a way to use his talents to their fullest. While Chinn is still an excellent blitzer and tackler, but his pass coverage leaves much to be desired, especially when he is forced to drop deep. As a result, one of the Panthers best players has played only about 50% of the snaps year to date (via fantasy pros.com). A team who covets his skill set may be willing to cough up a draft pick, though they’d have to wait on his services for several weeks due to injury. He is also in a contract season.
CB Donte Jackson
Potential compensation: 2024 4th/2025 3rd round pick
I could absolutely see Donte Jackson headed to greener pastures, as defensive back depth is attractive, especially for playoff hopeful teams. Jackson has both a starting CB resume and a very tradable contract. However, trading Jackson would completely empty the cupboards for the Panthers depth behind Jaycee Horn, so I would hope the capital they get is worth it.
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