One big reason why Carolina Panthers GM Scott Fitterer felt comfortable giving up as much as he did to get Bryce Young last year was because he truly felt they wouldn’t be picking anywhere near the top ten anytime soon. He believed that was their best chance to make a move and get the quarterback that could lead them for the next decade.
The jury is still out on Young, but the potential is certainly there. He’s improved with each start, it’s just that the kid needs a little help. Unfortunately, the Panthers gave up their 2024 first-round pick as part of that trade to get Young. Currently, it would be the number one overall pick.
So without a first-round pick and already limited draft capital, the Panthers could look to make some moves ahead of the October 31st trade deadline.
Probably the only way to get a first-rounder in 2024 is to trade outside linebacker Brian Burns. His name has popped up in a bunch of proposed mock trades by several outlets over the last few days and with no agreement on a new contract, a move could happen.
Burns is one of the top pass rushers in the entire NFL and rarely do those guys become available. So I would imagine the Panthers could get a first and then some in a trade involving Burns.
The million-dollar question for Fitterer is — Can you really trade away a talent like that for unknown commodities in the draft? Sure, having more draft picks would be ideal, as would having a pick in the first round. But it’s not going to make or break this franchise.
There’s no guarantee that the package of picks you get in return for Burns come anywhere close to matching the level of production that you would be losing. The draft, for the most part, is a crapshoot. Once you get outside of the top 10 or 15, it’s like throwing darts blindfolded hoping to hit bullseye.
If you’re trading Burns to a contender, that pick is going to fall somewhere between 20-32. Do you trust your scouting department to find a talent as good as Burns in that part of the draft? Look at the McCaffrey trade, for example.
They used one of the picks to send to Chicago for Young and used the other two in a trade with the Steelers to move up and select outside linebacker DJ Johnson who has played 61 snaps all season long.
If the Panthers continue to pile up losses, they’ll have the top pick of the second round and Fitterer has mentioned before there’s not much of a difference in talent from picks 18-45 or so. There’s no reason to make a trade to get an additional pick in the same batch of talent.
