Panthers open to trading defensive standout, multiple others

Two-time Pro Bow edge rusher Brian Burns would of course be the top prize for an acquiring team in any Panthers-related swap, but having an extension worked out would be necessary to justify the trade price required on that front. The Panthers turned down a haul for Burns – including two first-round picks from the Rams – last season, so another substantial proposal would no doubt be required for serious trade talks to take place. Extension negotiations for the former first-rounder – who is playing on the fifth-year option in 2023 and thus due for free agency or a franchise tag in March – are on hold.

A trio of other Panthers are available to be had in the near future, however, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. Hybrid safety/linebacker Jeremy Chinn, along with wideout Terrace Marshall and cornerback Donte Jackson find themselves on the trade block. Any member of that trio would require far less to acquire than Burns and they would arrive with varying degrees of expectations on a new team.

Chinn is in the final year of his rookie contract and he would make for a logical rental candidate on a team with the right scheme to utilize his skill-set. The former Defensive Rookie of the Year runner-up eclipsed 100 tackles in each of his first two seasons and he remained a full-time starter last year (one in which he missed signficant time due to a hamstring injury). Chinn was one of a select few players essentially deemed off-limits ahead of the 2022 deadline, but his playing time has dropped considerably this year in new DC Ejiro Evero‘s 3-4 scheme. A fresh start may be beneficial to team and player.

Marshall, like Jackson, is on the books through 2024. The former had high expectations as a second-round pick, but he has yet to lock down a full-time starting workload to date. The LSU alum seemed to be assured of a role ahead of the campaign by new head coach Frank Reich, but he did not see the field in Week 5 despite dressing. Marshall has totaled 16 catches for 114 scoreless yards while seeing a 64 percent snap share. Of course, any WR addition on Carolina’s part would threaten to knock him further down the depth chart and make a move sending him elsewhere a logical one.

Unlike the other two, Jackson is not attached to a rookie contract and would require a larger financial investment from an acquiring team. The 27-year-old would be due the balance of his $10.62M in compensation this year if he were dealt and his new club would be on the hook for that amount next year as well. Jackson’s 2024 cap hit, though, is set at $15.82M, something which would take him off certain teams’ radars. Carolina would incur a dead-cap charge of $5.2M this season and next by trading the former second-rounder; only 2024 would yield a net gain in cap space.

Jackson has started all but four of his 68 games, each of which have been spent with the Panthers. He has recorded between two and four interceptions each season, though injuries have ended his last two campaigns. An Achilles tear limited him to nine contests in 2022, but Jackson has returned to full health and logged a starting workload in his four games played this year.

The Panthers are taking a cautious approach with respect to their new-look coaching staff, but changes could be coming on the field if calls on Chinn, Marshall and/or Jackson produce a trade agreement. Other players could be on the move as well, of course, but for now the future of that trio will be worth watching.