With the NFL trade deadline drawing closer, the Carolina Panthers have a clear place to start if they want to strengthen a roster that has already surprised plenty of people.
Carolina is 3-2, and the offense has done the heavy lifting. Bryce Young is leading the NFL in passing yards per game and is the only quarterback in the league throwing for more than 300 yards per game.
Chuba Hubbard has also found his groove again, averaging 4.8 yards per carry while piling up six total touchdowns in five games. First-year playcaller Brad Idzik has the offense humming, and the results have been obvious.
But even with that success, the Panthers still have areas that need attention, especially with injuries thinning out parts of the roster. That makes this a logical moment to explore the trade market. Carolina has the draft capital to do it, too, with all but two of its picks over the next three years still in hand, plus the Vikings’ fourth-round pick in the upcoming draft.
If the Panthers do make a move, the target should be easy to identify: cornerback.
Mike Jackson and Jaycee Horn are both out for the foreseeable future. The expectation is that both could return in the second half of the season, but there is no guarantee. In the meantime, Carolina sits 19th in the league in pass defense, and the secondary has already shown how vulnerable it can be.
Will Lee III has stepped up well since taking on a bigger role, but the rookie still has the kind of growing pains that can show up in a hurry. That was on display last Sunday, when Devonta Smith caught a 19-yard touchdown over him to turn the game into a one-score fight.
The schedule only makes the need more pressing. In the coming month, Carolina is set to see receivers like Matthew Golden, Chris Olave, Zay Flowers, and others. That’s a tough run for a secondary already leaning on depth.
There are a few corners that could fit. Donte Jackson, now with the Chargers, would bring a reunion possibility and veteran help from the league’s worst team. Keishon Nixon of the Packers is another name that makes sense because of his versatility, age, and the fact that he’s in the final year of his contract.
Whoever the Panthers choose, the mission is straightforward. They have 20 days to add help and keep the secondary from getting stretched too thin while Jackson and Horn work their way back.
In Other News...
Panthers Suddenly Have A Big Question About Chasing Sauce Gardner
The idea of the Panthers chasing Sauce Gardner feels more like a front-office thought exercise than an actual transaction right now, but it is the kind of name that naturally gets tied to any team looking to raise its defensive ceiling. Gardner is fresh off a contract extension, and Indianapolis paid a steep price to land him in the first place, which tells you plenty about how hard it would be to pry him loose. Even so, Carolinas recent play has at least put the secondary conversation back in focus, because a corner of that caliber would change the shape of the defense in a hurry.
For now, there is no indication Gardner is available or that the Panthers have made any real inquiries, so the biggest obstacle remains the most obvious one: making the finances and the trade cost work if the situation ever shifted. His injury status also matters in any evaluation, since Carolina would need a clear read on both availability and long-term value before even entertaining the idea. It leaves the Panthers in a familiar place for a team trying to climb, watching a premium player from afar and wondering whether the opportunity is real or just speculative noise. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Trade Talk Is Heating Up Around Bryce Youngs Biggest Need
Bryce Young has helped push Carolina to a 3-2 start, and with the Panthers in the thick of the early-season race, the front office is already weighing ways to give its quarterback a little more help. The biggest discussion point has centered on the tight end spot, where adding another reliable target could fit cleanly with what the offense has shown so far.
Dallas Goedert has emerged as the name to watch as the trade deadline nears, with the veteran Eagles tight end viewed as a possible boost for Young and the passing game. For a Panthers team trying to build on its fast start, the idea of adding a proven weapon at a position of need is exactly the kind of move that can linger in the background until the deadline pressure starts to rise. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Face A Tough Week 7 Problem Before Buccaneers Showdown
The Panthers head into their Week 7 trip to Tampa with more than just a division matchup on their hands, because the Buccaneers are sorting through a quarterback situation that can change the feel of the game plan. Baker Mayfield has returned to practice, but his status for Sunday is still unconfirmed, and Tampa Bay has recently turned to rookie Jalon Daniels in his place.
Todd Bowles said the Bucs are preparing as if Daniels could start again, while still leaving the door open for Mayfield if he is healthy enough to go. For Carolina, that means the early part of the week is about reading the clues in Tampa Bays plan and getting ready for whichever version of the offense shows up when the NFC South rivals meet. [Read more 🡒]