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

Jeremy Chinn – Carolina Panthers S/OLB

The Carolina Panthers have invested a significant amount of draft capital over the last two seasons on acquiring some game-changing playmakers on defense. This saw the unit become a real force at times during the 2021 season, although a lack of offensive stability meant they did wilt over the second half of the campaign.

One player who’s been a key cog is Jeremy Chinn. The former second-round pick burst onto the scene in 2020 and was extremely unfortunate not to win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year after making the smoothest of transitions from safety to an outside linebacker.

Carolina switched Chinn back to the position he played in college last season, which brought yet another 100-tackle campaign but did expose some flaws in coverage on occasions. Whether this results in another move back to the second level next season is debatable, but one thing that cannot be disputed is the Southern Illinois product’s importance to the Panthers long-term.

Positional importance could dictate Chinn is part of any trade for a franchise quarterback. Even if this would leave the defense without one of its most intelligent and productive players.

Chinn is an absolute stud. A positionless weapon that would be sorely missed if the Panthers inexplicably traded him this offseason.