The Carolina Panthers season could quickly spiral out of control in the next few weeks. They are current 1-3, but their schedule is a daunting one as they have games against the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the next three weeks. Could a trade with the Green Bay Packers be on the horizon?
If they go winless during that stretch of games and fall to 1-6 on the season, we could see some major changes within the organization. Matt Rhule is on arguably the hottest coaching seat in the league as the Panthers have been underwhelming throughout his tenure there.
If Carolina does decide to blow things up, they could be active sellers ahead of the trade deadline set for November 1st. There are certainly some players that would draw a lot of attention should the Panthers be open for business, one of them being wide receiver Robbie Anderson.
Anderson signed a two-year deal with the Panthers as a free agent in 2020 and turned in a career season. He caught 95 passes for 1,096 yards and parlayed that into a two-year, $29.5 million extension. Unfortunately, he has not come close to matching that level of production since.
In 2021, Anderson followed up his career-high with a career-low, catching 53 passes for 519 yards. Poor quarterback play plagued him and the offense and things haven’t gotten any better this season with Baker Mayfield. Anderson has only 12 catches for 174 yards with five of those receptions and 102 of the yards coming in Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns.
The talent is certainly there when it comes to Anderson, but he hasn’t had the quarterback play to get the ball to him. He would likely love a trade out of town and the Green Bay Packers are one team that should pursue him.
The Packers revamped their wide receiver group this offseason following the trade of Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling leaving in free agency. They could certainly use an experienced wide receiver, especially with Sammy Watkins already landing on IR.
Anderson would provide Aaron Rodgers with a steady deep threat on the perimeter, offering a good complement to what Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb and rookie Romeo Doubs have brought to the table.
Trades involving Anderson have been discussed this year, as the New England Patriots checked in on him during the offseason. Looking like Super Bowl contenders, the Packers should make an aggressive offer and see if the Panthers would take a mid-round pick in exchange for Anderson.
A fourth rounder is what they should offer, but going as high as a third is certainly possible since Anderson is under contract through 2023. Knowing they could have him in the mix next season as well is certainly an appealing thing should Green Bay look to upgrade the weapons around Rodgers before the trade deadline.
