4 Panthers players who shouldn’t be traded before the deadline

Stephen Weatherly – Carolina Panthers DE

Stephen Weatherly‘s start to life with the Carolina Panthers hasn’t met expectations so far. The free-agent signing is still waiting for his first sack following his move from the Minnesota Vikings, but trading the player at this juncture is something they shouldn’t do.

This is down to a lack of depth more than anything else. If second-round pick Yetur Gross-Matos was healthy, it might be a different story. But the Panthers don’t have much in the way of veteran leadership in the locker room and that is why they should hang onto Weatherly until the end of the season.

Whether a potential trade could be in the works next year remains to be seen. Weatherly might not be making the necessary impact from a starting position in Carolina, but he proved a more than capable rotational piece backing up Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter with the Vikings.

Every contending team is looking for a player like this. So there might just be a market for Weatherly that could ensure Carolina gets something in return.

Weatherly has registered nine pressures and three quarterback hits from 62 percent of Carolina’s defensive snaps this season. More was obviously expected from a player they gave a two-year, $12.5 million deal to in free agency, but it is a little too soon to give up on the former seventh-round pick just yet.