Carolina Panthers edge rusher Brian Burns could be one of the best names available between now and the Oct. 31 NFL trade deadline. One team to keep an eye on could be the Baltimore Ravens.
While the Panthers have not shown any indication that they plan on moving him at the current point in time, it stands to reason that Carolina could ultimately trade him before the end of the month.
The Panthers are 0-6 going into Week 8, and Burns’ contract expires after this season. Carolina was unable to reach a long-term agreement with Burns prior to the season, as Burns is apparently seeking somewhere in the neighborhood of $26-28 million annually.
Those factors make Burns seem like a prime trade candidate, and if he is, the Ravens should jump in and try to make something happen.
The Ravens have the NFL’s second-ranked defense and are tied with the Buffalo Bills for No. 1 in the league in sacks, so it’s not like they “need” another pass rusher.
However, Baltimore has also not looked quite elite as a football team in 2023. Don’t get me wrong: the Ravens have been good. They are 5-2, and they sit in first place in the AFC North. However, they have a couple of ugly losses under their belt, and they don’t appear to be legitimate Super Bowl threats at the moment.
For that reason, Baltimore may want to make a push for Burns to fully load up on defense to elevate its overall status to the next level.
Just because the Ravens don’t “need” another elite defender does not mean they shouldn’t make a push for one. They really aren’t great offensively, so why not stack up as much as they possibly can on defense to make the offense’s job that much easier?
Yes, Burns would be pricy, both in terms of trade assets and what he would he cost to retain in the offseason, but the Ravens are this close to being a top-tier ballclub, and it would be blown opportunity if they didn’t try and significantly improve by the deadline.
Brian Burns would unquestionably make Baltimore a better squad and would give the Ravens a lethal set of pass rushers who would give opposing quarterbacks fits.
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