Carolina Panthers: Teams calling for possible Curtis Samuel trade

Wide receiver Curtis Samuel is reportedly a trade target heading into day two of the NFL Draft, but would the Carolina Panthers be willing to move the player?

Productive wide receiver Curtis Samuel is in high demand as a possible trade candidate, according to reports.

According to NFL Network insider Ian Rappaport, the Carolina Panthers have received a number of calls regarding a possible move for Samuel, who is heading into the final year of his rookie deal.

Rappaport explained the situation further in a tweet:

"“The Panthers have been open to deals this offseason, and here is a name to watch: WR Curtis Samuel. Teams have been consistently calling about the former 2nd round pick, and we’ll see if they get an offer they can’t refuse over the next two days.”"

Samuel could be a victim of circumstance regarding his future with the Panthers. The organization brought in a host of new wide receivers in free agency, which included Robby Anderson from the New York Jets on a two-year, $20 million deal that included an $8 million signing bonus and $12 million guaranteed.

The Panthers also made moves for Seth Roberts, Keith Kirkwood, and Pharoh Cooper to put alongside D.J. Moore this offseason. This has left Samuel facing an uncertain future under new head coach Matt Rhule and offensive coordinator Joe Brady.

The 23-year-old suffered his fair share of injuries since entering the league as a second-round pick out of Ohio State in 2017. He finally got a consistent run of games under his belt last term. This resulted in Samuel recording 54 receptions, 627 yards, and six touchdowns.

Samuel penned a four-year, $6.45 million contract with the Panthers coming out of included a $2.83 million signing bonus and a little over $4 million guaranteed.

He is set to make $1.22 million in base salary in 2020 and count just over $2 million against the Panthers’ salary cap. Given the way Samuel has played over the last two seasons, it is clear he has outplayed this pay grade.

This puts Carolina in a predicament regarding the player. Their tight salary cap means they are unable to make him a significant offer at the present time. But they will not want to lose him for anything in free agency in 2021.

There is reportedly a strong market for Samuel and this might work in the Panthers’ favor. They could then use one of their draft picks on a possible replacement in a deep wide receiver class.