On Sunday, Adam Schefter at ESPN reported that the Carolina Panthers are one of several NFL teams expected to be in the market for a wide receiver ahead of the league’s trade deadline next Tuesday.
There are a few interesting names at the position who are rumored to be on the trade block. So, let’s rank the top three that could help Carolina.
3. DeVante Parker – Dolphins (6-foot-3, 216 pounds)
Career stats: 60 games, 181 catches, 2,501 receiving yards, 12 touchdowns
Pros: The Dolphins are in tank-for-Tua mode and they’re not trying to hide it. They have already offloaded some of their promising young pieces like Laremy Tunsil to the Texans, so they might be the most willing trade suitor for the Panthers. Parker’s stats won’t blow anyone away, but remember he’s been working with the likes of Ryan Tannehill, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh Rosen. He’s still in his prime and Parker has the potential to produce a lot more playing with an upgrade at quarterback like Cam Newton.
Cons: Even considering his handicap at QB, Parker’s numbers are a bit underwhelming for a first-round draft pick. His catch rate is most suspect – he’s only caught 47.4% of his targets this year and 56.9% for his career. Using him differently than the Dolphins might boost his yards per target (7.9) but he’s not really the kind of weapon that could push the Panthers’ passing attack to the next level.
2. Emmanuel Sanders – Broncos (5-foot-11, 180 pounds)
Career stats: 134 games, 565 catches, 7,391 receiving yards, 39 touchdowns
Pros: Sanders is a potent receiver who is capable of elite production when he gets enough opportunities. From 2014-2016, he averaged well over 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns per year. Sanders is an excellent route runner who routinely makes touch catches in tight coverage. He also has extensive experience as a kick and punt returner, which is another area Carolina could use some help in. Sanders is also in the last year of his contract, so if things don’t work out it would be easy for the Panthers to move on without him in 2020.
Cons: As capable as Sanders has been at different points during his time in Denver, he’s also definitely past his prime. He’s 32 years old and his numbers have begun dropping off like one would expect at the tail end of a receiver’s career. Trading for Sanders is not a long-term solution for the Panthers if they really want to engineer a better passing game.
1. A.J. Green – Bengals (6-foot-4, 210 pounds)
Career stats: 111 games, 602 catches, 8,907 receiving yards, 63 touchdowns
Pros: Now we’re talking. Green is the top wide receiver who’s on the trading block this year and we may not have even seen the best of him yet. Green’s numbers despite working with a below-average QB in Andy Dalton for most of his career are nothing less than sensational. He’s also a great red zone weapon, which could help the Panthers. They’re only scoring touchdowns on 60% of their red zone trips this season – which is pretty mediocre.
Cons: Like Sanders, Green is also on the wrong side of 30 years old. The big yellow flag with him is his ankle injury, which caused him to miss half of last season and every game so far this year. It might take Green a while to get back up to speed, which could be a problem for a team in the middle of the playoff race. That said, a healthy A.J. Green is exactly the kind of play-maker who could put Carolina over the top.
