4 possible reasons the Panthers traded Denzel Perryman to the Raiders

Jermaine Carter’s emergence to Carolina Panthers MLB1

Another reason why the Carolina Panthers could have deemed Denzel Perryman surplus to requirements is the continued emergence of Jermaine Carter.

ESPN’s pre-training camp depth chart had the former fifth-round pick slotted on the outside with Perryman in the middle. However, it didn’t take long for things to look far different once the Carolina Panthers took the field at Wofford College in Spartanburg for training camp.

Carter was the man on the interior, taking the majority of first-team reps and thriving with additional responsibility on his shoulders. Matt Rhule subsequently made the Maryland product their Week 1 starter on Tuesday and Perryman was traded a little more than 24 hours later.

Whether Perryman took exception to Rhule naming Carter as the starting middle linebacker this far away from Week 1 against the New York Jets or not is anybody’s guess. But there appears little doubt that the player was expecting more than a rotational role after leaving Los Angeles.

Nobody is more deserving of this than Carter. He’s waited patiently for his chance and bounced back from an initial personality clash with Rhule last year to make his presence felt once Tahir Whitehead was finally benched.

This is a significant opportunity awaiting Carter, who was called the new leader of Carolina’s defense by Steve Smith during the team’s second preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens.

As for Perryman, he now has to carve out a role for himself on the Raiders in a very short space of time.