Should the Carolina Panthers consider signing Trey Burton?

Should the Panthers consider signing Burton?

Any move for Trey Burton from the Carolina Panthers’ perspective would ultimately come down to money. They are up against it from a salary cap perspective thanks in no small part to their extortionate dead cap situation in 2020.

Given Burton is still getting so much from the Chicago Bears going forward, he might be willing to take a little less to get himself on the right fit. If Ian Thomas does not live up to expectations, there is a real chance that someone like Burton can step in and immediately contribute.

The franchise has made a concerted effort to go younger during the offseason in what is expected to be a period of transition under new head coach Matt Rhule. Signing someone like Burton would get away from that. But he could well be a good short-term option and allow more focus on other areas of need.

Burton is a solid security blanket over the middle for a quarterback to rely on. He is also a significant red-zone threat. This is something the Panthers are crying out for following Greg Olsen’s departure.

They might use a mid-to-late round NFL Draft selection on the tight end spot. But the class of 2020 is not littered with talent and any incoming college recruit would not give them any immediate production outside of the top-four prospects.

That means that the Panthers are counting on Thomas to produce the goods. However, someone like Burton brings instant credibility and an incentivized deal might be enough to tempt him depending on the amount of interest from elsewhere around the NFL.