6 Carolina Panthers players who must be off the trade table in 2022

D.J. Moore – Carolina Panthers WR

Trading for a quarterback is all well and good. But that counts for nothing if any new acquisition cannot rely on his weapons in the passing game.

The Carolina Panthers don’t have many of these right now. Robby Anderson’s regression, Christian McCaffrey’s injury problems, and Terrace Marshall Jr.’s lack of involvement only complicated matters for Sam Darnold and others, although the consistency under center also left a lot to be desired.

The one shining light is D.J. Moore, who somehow went over 1,000 yards receiving for a third-straight campaign despite everything else crumbling around him. He has long been thought of as one of the league’s most underrated wide receivers, but the Maryland product won’t enter the truly elite category until the Panthers find a quarterback capable of assisting his cause.

Moore is entering the final year of his rookie deal and one could argue he’s already done enough for a long-term, lucrative contract extension. Whether that comes this offseason or next is irrelevant, the Panthers cannot let their most consistent playmaker leave with so much of his career ahead of him.

Any team taking calls for their quarterback from Carolina will bring up Moore’s name. Even though the Panthers don’t have much in the way of tradable assets, they should keep the wideout’s name out of any talks if they had any sense whatsoever.