5 trade targets for the Panthers after Week 3 of the 2021 season
By Dean Jones
Laremy Tunsil – OT
Finding a long-term solution at left tackle has been an ongoing complication for the Carolina Panthers ever since Jordan Gross called it a day after the 2013 season. Cam Erving has started the current campaign on the blindside, but his level of consistency hasn’t been up to scratch so far and something that was a real concern before competitive action began.
If the Panthers want to go bold and acquire a supreme force, then they might want to put a call into the Houston Texans for Laremy Tunsil. The AFC South team appears to be in full rebuild mode with Deshaun Watson’s future still up in the air, so getting substantial draft capital for the former first-round pick might be a tempting proposition.
Tunsil is a tremendous player and an instant upgrade on anything Carolina has. But not only is there draft compensation to consider, but the veteran is also set to found $26.15 million and $26.8 million against the salary cap over 2022 and 2023 seasons.
Whether the Panthers have enough leeway in terms of finances to cope with this astronomical figure is highly debatable. The likes of D.J. Moore, Brian Burns, Donte Jackson, and perhaps Haason Reddick all need paying sooner rather than later, so they might decide to take their chances with an unproven college prospect with one of their high-end picks instead.
Only time will tell, obviously. But acquiring Tunsil could be the missing piece to the puzzle and something that would undoubtedly take quarterback Sam Darnold’s game to new heights.