We recently got the lowdown on exactly what the Carolina Panthers and general manager Scott Fitterer were offered for their two best players.
For Pro Bowl pass rusher Brian Burns, the Los Angeles Rams put three high draft picks on the table—a first-rounder in 2024, a first-rounder in 2025 and a second-rounder in 2023. For standout wideout DJ Moore, the Green Bay Packers came with a first-rounder—one that could be quite valuable if it’s for 2023.
Yet, Fitterer stood pat with his young talent—deciding to move on as is. Otherwise, the only two players that were ultimately sold off—star running back Christian McCaffrey and receiver Robbie Anderson—brought back some heralded returns to Carolina.
By forgoing these trades, Fitterer made a clear decision that this team will be ready to compete sooner rather than later. He may be betting on the 24-year-old Burns and 25-year-old Moore, among others, to jumpstart a winning culture as soon as next year.
With that said, Carolina’s front office will have quite a decision to make in the upcoming draft—where they will likely end up in the top five of the order. Will they then draft a rookie quarterback and use these budding studs as the pillars around the all-important position?
It would benefit a young signal caller to have a receiver like Moore to throw to, and to hold on to a defense that can keep games within reach. Plus, the picks the Panthers got for McCaffrey (all four of them) could give the braintrust enough flexibility to move up and explore more talent in the later rounds to support such an offense.
It is difficult to find a developed pass rusher or wide receiver in the draft, and Fitterer knows this. So, he will take the sure things in Burns and Moore and trust on his abilities as a general manager to hit on the picks he already has.
Things will need to turn around in Carolina quickly to make passing up on these valuable picks worth it. But it is a signaling from the front office that competitive football should be right around the corner.
Only time will tell if the correct decisions were made.
