Changes have been made to the Carolina Panthers over the last few days.
Following last week’s losses to both Bay teams, the Panthers have reworked their defensive staff, releasing Ejiro Evero and his lieutenants. Defensive Line Coach Todd Wash will be calling plays instead.
This change comes at a pivotal time in the NFL calendar. Not only are the Panthers coming up on ten consecutive regular season games without any breaks, but the team is approaching another important mark in the season - the trade deadline.
After 4pm EST on November 10, no team will be able to make a trade until after the season concludes. We’ve already seen some blockbuster deals this season, with multiple defensive stars on the move to contending teams.
With the Carolina Panthers still somehow leading the NFC South race, does it make sense for this team to be buyers at the deadline for the first time in the Dan Morgan era?
Or do the recent struggles point toward more of a reset, giving the Panthers the option to sell some of their players to better teams.
Let’s take a look at both scenarios, and which players would be on the table in either case.
Buyers
Carolina being buyers at the trade deadline is an easy thing to sell to fans. The Panthers won the division last season, and still lead the NFC South despite some bumps.
Year three of the Canales/Morgan era was always supposed to be the year where this team takes the leap.
These expectations, plus the ridiculous amount of key injuries the Panthers have faced this season, create a need for adding veteran talent in order to finish the season on top of the NFC South.
Looking at who might be available, there are a number of different directions Carolina could go. The most pressing area of need, however, is the offensive line.
1. Jackson Powers-Johnson, iOL, LV
Carolina’s offensive line is the worst in the NFL. To put it simply - it’s offensive. Multiple different players lead the league in pressures allowed at their respective positions, and with the loss of Taylor Moton, the group will be stretched even thinner.
Versatile lineman Brady Christensen is on track to return soon, and should be able to provide help at any position the team deems necessary. But Brady is one player, and the Panthers need all the help that they can get.
This is where Jackson Powers-Johnson comes into play. The versatile Raiders OL has found himself out of the rotation with the new coaching staff. Carolina could buy low on JPJ, using his versatility, but mainly his prowess as a center to help bolster the pass pro.
Center in particular has been a major issue for Carolina, and if the team is still unwilling to play rookie Sam Hecht in that role, adding JPJ is probably the team’s best option at the deadline.
2. Khalil Mack, EDGE, LAC
Switching from Evero to Wash won’t create a brand new scheme overnight. What it will do, however, is allow the defensive linemen to be in a more attacking-based mindset, as opposed to the read-and-react style Evero deployed.
One person that could fit this mold perfectly is Khalil Mack. Mack, now deep into his 30s, brings a bevy of pass rush experience that this team desperately needs.
Mack also has found success in the 4-3 front that Wash is used to. Carolina has had Evero as the defensive mastermind for four seasons, and has accumulated players more suited to fit his scheme.
With Evero gone, adding a player that can deviate a bit from said scheme is important. With the Chargers still winless at 0-7, they might finally be willing to make a deal.
3. Josh Downs, WR, IND
Receiver is one of the more complete position groups that the Panthers currently have. Still, an underneath receiver that can create his own yards after catch (YAC) is a need for this offense.
Enter Downs, whose smaller stature might stand out in the Canales WR room. Don’t let the small size fool you though, Downs gets open quickly and can add hidden yards that this team currently lacks.
Downs also can be an effective punt returner, a spot that has caused issues for this team multiple times this season. Acquiring Downs likely means pushing David Moore off of the team, but if Carolina is serious about competing, such a move might be necessary at some point this season.
Sellers
Being sellers at the deadline is a bit of a harder sell, no pun intended. This team spent heavily in free agency over the past three seasons, ultimately building towards the goal of being competitive in 2026.
Injuries and coaching issues have derailed that competitiveness early in the season, and if the Panthers brass feels like this team can’t recover, taking a step back and aiming at being in the playoff hunt next season might be their priority.
Should this be the case, they would have to part ways with players that would actually bring back assets. This likely means fan-favorites and team leaders, losses that would certainly sting.
1. Derrick Brown, DL
Perhaps no player would receive a bigger backlash in being traded away from this team than Derrick Brown. Not only is Brown the team’s best player on defense, but sending him away would continue the streak of the Panthers sending away their own first round picks, dating back to trading Christian McCaffrey.
However, this has not been Derrick Brown’s best season. It took until the Thursday Night game against Green Bay for Brown to record his first tackle for loss on the season. Brown has also struggled to affect the quarterback, other than batting down passes.
Still, Brown is one of the better players on this team, and would likely fetch a high return for the Panthers. Former Titans star Jeffery Simmons netted two first round picks and a late pick for his services.
While Brown wouldn’t come close to two first rounders in a deal, is isn’t impossible that his value is around that of a single first round pick.
If Carolina doesn’t like his fit with the new defensive coordinator change, it could make sense for them to move on.
2. Xavier Legette, WR
One of the most hyped-up position groups in a single draft class was the wide receiver group in the 2024 NFL Draft. During that draft cycle, everybody was raving about how deep and talented the receivers were.
Well, since then, the first receiver taken in that draft (Marvin Harrison Jr) has been traded. Another first round receiver, Brian Thomas Jr, is on the trade block, and the rest of the class aside from Malik Nabers has been incredibly disappointing.
Thankfully for Carolina, undrafted rookie Jalen Coker seems to have been one of the best of the bunch, and the Panthers got him for pennies.
The other receiver Carolina added in that rookie class was Xavier Legette. Lacking a first round pick that year, Carolina traded up to No. 32 to select the local breakout player.
Since then, Legette has failed to make a substantial impact for this team. From inconsistencies catching the ball, to poor awareness on the field, Legette’s first two seasons were to be forgotten.
Legette has only played in two games this season, recording two catches for 64 yards, both coming against the Atlanta Falcons.
There aren’t a lot of positive arguments to keep Legette through the deadline if someone is willing to part with a draft pick for him. The emergence of Darren Waller and John Metchie as underneath targets pushes Legette down even further on the Carolina receiver totem pole.
It would be rough to give up on another first round pick, but it seems like Legette doesn’t have an established role with this team as it currently stands.
3. Ja’Tavion Sanders, TE
Once Darren Waller was signed during training camp, it seemed like Sanders had an outside chance at making the final roster. Sanders was able to make it onto the initial 53 as the team’s fifth tight end, and has stayed in that spot ever since.
In fact, Sanders has not been active for a single game this season, despite four other tight ends getting the green light to play.
At this point, it’s more of a courtesy to both sides to see if there is a market for Sanders across the league. Carolina clearly has no intention of playing the third-year tight end, but has still kept him on the roster to be inactive every week.
If Sanders were able to net a late round pick swap, the Panthers should seriously consider pulling the trigger. It would be tough to have another blunder on the record for the 2024 draft class, but it might be what’s best for both Carolina and Sanders.
The Panthers don’t have too many other assets that contending teams might find attractive. Someone like Mike Jackson could’ve been added to the list, but Jackson still tracks to be a month or more away from his return to the field.
I’m of the opinion that Carolina needs to take one of these routes at the deadline. Whether it’s scaling back this season or accelerating it by adding talent, the Panthers should do something before the trade deadline.
Sitting between contending and bottoming is not a place this team wants to be. Perhaps if the team makes a move, we’ll know what they think about their chances for the rest of this season.