5 Panthers off the table in any potential Deshaun Watson trade
By Dean Jones
Speculation continues to mount regarding the Carolina Panthers potentially trading for Deshaun Watson, but these players should be off the table in any package.
The rumor mill is getting stronger with every passing day regarding the future of Deshaun Watson. The Houston Texans are facing a real fight to keep hold of their franchise player this offseason and the Carolina Panthers were named by NFL Network insider Ian Rappaport as a dark horse contender to land the stud quarterback.
This would take an astronomical effort from the Carolina Panthers. Houston will likely demand a king’s ransom – and rightfully so – but new general manager Scott Fitterer must at least try if a player of Watson’s caliber does become available.
Players with Watson’s quality don’t grow on trees and are rarely available on the trade market at the peak of their powers. However, there could be a queue of teams looking to acquire his services, who might be able to offer a little more than Carolina could muster at this stage of their rebuild.
Without further ado, let’s examine the only five Panthers players who should be off the table when it comes to a possible trade package for Watson.
Player No. 1
Donte Jackson – Carolina Panthers CB
Donte Jackson showed some real promise down the stretch after overcoming a toe problem that bothered him severely throughout the season. The cornerback could emerge as a true No. 1 option for the Panthers in 2021, which just so happens to be a contract year for the former second-round pick.
Although Watson is an unbelievable talent, adding Jackson to any potential trade package could leave them really short in the secondary. Considering Carolina would probably need to give up some substantial draft capital to pull this deal off, replacing someone of his caliber would be difficult in this scenario.
Hopefully, Jackson can build on the positive momentum he generated over the final few games of the campaign, which might come with some substantial financial rewards in the process.