We can actually pinpoint the second where the hearts of Carolina Panthers fans ripped in half this offseason.
The latest episode of HBO’s Hard Knocks gave us an inside look into the very moment in which fan favorite Brian Burns was traded to the New York Giants.
Watch as cameras document Giants general manager and former Panthers scout Joe Schoen navigating his way through negotiations with Carolina president of football operations/general manager Dan Morgan:
Joe Schoen: “I said 39 he said no. I said if it’s 39 it’s just 39. If you want an extra pick it’s 47 and a 2025. Dan {Morgan} said he’s waiting on the owner.”
Panthers ended up getting No. 39, No. 141 for 166 and a 2025 5th round pick. #HardKnocks pic.twitter.com/eghlTOMWtG
— Panthers On Tap (@PanthersOnTap) July 17, 2024
As shown, Daniel Thomas Morgan agreed to send the two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher off for 2024’s 39th overall pick, a 2024 fifth-round pick swap and a 2025 conditional fifth-round pick. The painful departure came after Burns and the Panthers were unable to reach a long-term pact, one he’d promptly receive from the Giants upon the completion of the deal.
Morgan, a few weeks later, explained why the tough decision had to be made.
“You know, those are always difficult conversations and, and decisions that you have to make from the seat that I’m in,” he said, at the NFL Annual League Meeting in late March. “We love Brian. The player he is, the person he is, but sometimes you’ve got to make tough decisions, and the salary cap along with draft capital that we got, we felt like it was, you know, time to pull the trigger and make a move.
“We felt like the timing was right. And yeah, those are always tough decisions, but we had to make it, and we feel OK about it.”
Well, by the looks of that clip, we know Schoen and the Giants were certainly OK about it, too.
