Carolina has no shortage of roster holes heading into the 2019 offseason. If the Panthers are going to stay competitive in a brutal NFC south division, they should utilize free agency, the draft and trades in order to address them. Earlier this week, we looked at five defensive players who might make sense in a trade.
Now, here’s five offensive players that the team could potentially target in a trade this year.
QB Nick Foles
Why: Carolina is in the market for a new backup quarterback behind Cam Newton. As long as the Panthers are looking, they might as well kick the tires on the guy who’s established himself as the most clutch backup in football. The Eagles have chosen Carson Wentz to be their QB1 of the future, which leaves Nick Foles in a strange situation. He recently bought out the team’s $2 million option and the latest chatter indicates they might franchise tag Foles and then trade him. If that’s the case, them the Panthers should at least make a call.
Why not: Foles would be an excellent insurance policy at quarterback in case Newton’s shoulder acts up again, but he’d also be an extremely expensive one. A franchise tag at the position this year is projected to cost around $24-$25 million. Foles’ success in the playoffs would also inevitably drive up the price of any potential long-term deal.
WR Antonio Brown
Why: Greg Olsen has effectively been Newton’s No. 1 weapon since Steve Smith left town. The Panthers simply haven’t been able to find a star wide receiver since. As promising as DJ Moore and Curtis Samuel are, they’re not game-changers on the level of Antonio Brown, who has been hanging out with Newton off the field more and more of late. Outside of Julio Jones, Brown is the best receiver in the NFL and he’d be a force multiplier for an offense in desperate need of one.
Why not: Brown’s beef with Ben Roethlisberger is understandable, but the way he’s forcing himself out of Pittsburgh is not a good look. It’s not a stretch to imagine Brown disrupting the team’s chemistry at a time when it will be going through some major changes. Taking on his contract would also be a significant burden.
WR DeVante Parker
Why: Brown does practically everything well at wide receiver – he’s not a very large target, though. The Panthers are already relatively small at the position with Devin Funchess likely on the way out and they need to add some more size. DeVante Parker is 6-foot-3, 209 pounds and has the kind of catch radius Carolina’s offense is missing. If things don’t work out, he’d only be a one-year rental at under $10 million.
Why not: Parker has admittedly suffered from mediocre quarterback play and a generally incompetent organization. However, for a former first-round pick his numbers are a bit underwhelming. He’s only scored nine touchdowns in his career, which is entirely too few given his talents.
OT Donald Penn
Why: Carolina absolutely needs to find a solution at left tackle. Since Michael Oher’s exit it’s been a disaster. Whether it’s been Matt Kalil, Chris Clark, Marshall Newhouse or anyone else, nobody has been able to stick as a reliable starter. Enter the ancient and venerable Donald Penn, who is about as reliable as left tackles come – he had only missed two games since 2007 until this past season. Under Jon Gruden, the Raiders have been unloading a ton of old contracts, so striking a bargain for Penn is possible.
Why not: As much as the Panthers might value the three-time Pro Bowler’s experience, Penn is in the twilight of his football career. By the time next season starts, he’ll be 36 years old and he’s already played in 178 games. The Panthers should be looking to find the next Donald Penn, not renting the original article.
RB Chris Ivory
Why: Christian McCaffrey is amazing. He also doesn’t need to be on the field every single snap. The Panthers should look into finding a change of pace running back. In an ideal world, they’d bring C.J. Anderson back but it sounds like the Rams want to keep him. Chris Ivory has the same kind of physical running style and an equally strong build at six-foot, 220 pounds. The Bills almost certainly have their eye on a few Carolina players, so a deal shouldn’t be too difficult to come by.
Why not: Ivory is a solid power runner fit for Carolina. He may have already peaked with the Jets back in 2015, though. That year he posted a career high 1,070 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. He hasn’t averaged more than four yards per carry since though and has only scored six times.
