Carolina Panthers Reportedly Open To Trading Back From No. 1

Frank Reich stands out the podium in Carolina.

On the same day that the Carolina Panthers made the massive trade with the Chicago Bears to jump from No. 9 to No. 1 in the 2023 NFL Draft, there comes an interesting footnote to the story.

That footnote is that the Panthers are open to trading back from No. 1.

Say what?

Various outlets, including Pro Football Network, The Athletic, and The Charlotte Observer, are reporting that the Panthers put this word out so that other teams are aware that they are not steadfast at No. 1.

Presumably, they want a quarterback and would not want to move back too far so it remains to be seen if the Houston Texans, slated to pick second, will engage Carolina on this issue.

The Trade Will Be Evaluated In Years To Come

No one knows who won in the trade between the Chicago Bears and the Carolina Panthers.

It will take years to figure it out after all the draft picks are selected and play out their careers.

The fact is the Panthers still have a lot of draft picks this year by virtue of the Christian McCaffrey trade.

They also have not had a stable starting quarterback since Cam Newton’s heyday.

It is also worth noting that the Panthers drafted a quarterback in 2022; 24-year-old Matt Corrall was the team’s third-round pick at No. 94 overall.

How is he affected by this trade?

What About Lamar Jackson?

Why didn’t the Panthers engage the Ravens and Lamar Jackson?

Only two first-round picks would have been exchanged should a deal have been struck that the Ravens would not have chosen to match.

In Jackson, the Panthers know what they are getting.

Draft picks tend to be more of a crap shoot evidenced by the New York Jets’ current situation two years after Zach Wilson (No. 2 overall in 2021) and five years after Sam Darnold (No. 3 overall in 2018) were drafted.

Draft Strategy

In the meantime, Coach Frank Reich and the Carolina Panthers believe they hold the cards with the No. 1 pick.

They could keep it or deal it away depending on the circumstances.

Will the Texans pursue it?

It is unclear; they have draft picks from the Deshaun Watson trade, but the Texans will have to decide if the price to move up from No. 2 to No. 1 is worth it.


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