The Carolina Panthers have done a nearly total reset of their team this offseason. They hired Frank Reich to take over as the head coach, replacing interim Steve Wilks who steadied the ship last season after Matt Rhule was fired following Week 5.
Reich is getting something right away in Carolina that he didn’t have during his tenure with the Indianapolis Colts or Rhule had in his time with the Panthers; a potential franchise quarterback. Carolina made a blockbuster trade to acquire the No. 1 pick from the Chicago Bears and used that selection on Alabama quarterback Bryce Young.
While Young isn’t being handed the starting job, he will have to outperform Andy Dalton this offseason to do so, the foundation for the future has been laid in Carolina. That is all you can ask for as the Panthers look to have a plan in place.
If they want Young to have as much success as possible in the early going, they should continue seeking out upgrades for the roster. The team added some veteran pass catchers this offseason, Adam Thielen and DJ Chark, to replace D.J. Moore at wide receiver. They also selected Jonathan Mingo in the 2023 NFL Draft.
That is a good start, but it wouldn’t hurt to add more playmakers around Young. One intriguing player that has been mentioned as a possible trade target is running back Austin Ekeler of the Los Angeles Chargers.
Ekeler has been granted permission to seek a trade as he was unhappy with his contract situation in Los Angeles. Slated to hit free agency after the season, it makes sense Los Angeles would allow him to seek a trade.
What could a deal between the Panthers and Chargers look like? A suggested trade package would be Carolina sending running back Chuba Hubbard and a 2024 fifth-round pick to Los Angeles in exchange for Ekeler.
It is hard to envision the Panthers doing this deal. Yes, the package to acquire Ekeler is relatively cheap and his pass-catching skills would be a major upgrade for the team’s backfield. But, there is an almost zero percent chance Ekeler would be anything more than a one-year rental.
The team just signed Miles Sanders in free agency to a four-year deal. He wasn’t signed to be a part-time or backup player, which he would be relegated to with the addition of Ekeler. Also, paying Ekeler what he is seeking would be a poor use of resources after handing a nice contract to Sanders.
The running back position has been devalued, evident by the market this offseason. Acquiring and paying a second one, despite how much his presence would help Young, is bad for business. If the Panthers are going to seek out a trade with the Chargers it should be for one of their wide receivers after the team added Quentin Johnston with their first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
