4 Carolina Panthers players who could be traded this offseason
By Dean Jones
Sam Darnold – Carolina Panthers QB
Trading for Sam Darnold was seen as a big risk by the Carolina Panthers. One that didn’t end up costing that much after a flurry of activity in the trade market during the 2021 NFL Draft from Scott Fitterer.
That being said, Carolina still doesn’t possess a second-rounder because of it. And considering how things regressed for Darnold before he was mercifully put on the reserve/injured list, the decision to bring him on board has blown up in their face.
Things began so well for Darnold against inferior opposition over the first three weeks. But once Christian McCaffrey needed time off through injury, the production dropped at an alarming rate.
The Panthers don’t appear confident in Darnold’s chances of becoming their long-term starting option. Cam Newton’s jaw-dropping return to Carolina is proof of that.
But the signal-caller has been lackluster throughout his four-year career and his fully guaranteed $18.58 million in 2022 is another major stumbling block in any potential trade.
Carolina would need to eat up a big chunk of Darnold’s salary to pull this off. Something we saw the team do during the previous offseason with Teddy Bridgewater.
But even that might not be enough.
Simply put, if the Panthers can get anything for Darnold and convince another organization to pay part of his salary in the process, it’s a massive win.