4 ambitious trades for the Carolina Panthers to land a franchise LT
By Dean Jones
What potential trades could the Carolina Panthers potentially explore in pursuit of finding a long-term solution to their ongoing problem at left tackle?
Finding a franchise left tackle to replace Jordan Gross has been absurdly difficult for the Carolina Panthers since the All-Pro retired after the 2013 season. It’s been a revolving door ever since and remains a serious question that needs to be answered heading into the upcoming campaign.
A least from the outside looking in, the current options available to the Panthers leave a lot to be desired.
Inconsistent veteran Cam Erving fancies his chances of earning the starting role, with the likes of Greg Little, Trenton Scott, and third-round pick Brady Christensen also in contention to pick up blindside responsibilities.
Carolina Panthers have to protect quarterback Sam Darnold in 2021.
If these options don’t work out, then it’s going to have a detrimental impact on Sam Darnold’s ability to thrive following his trade from the New York Jets. Keeping the quarterback upright is of critical importance and opposing defenses are going to key in on the left tackle spot as a potential area of weakness they can exploit.
Carolina might want to explore the trade market in pursuit of finding a franchise left tackle if they don’t like what transpires before the deadline or once the season comes to a conclusion. The Kansas City Chiefs proved this offseason that if a team really wants to boost their protection, it can be achieved by being bold in their decision-making.
With this in mind, here are four possible left tackle options the Panthers might want to consider in the trade market somewhere down the line.