Is it time for the Carolina Panthers to trade wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. after he was a healthy scratch in Week 3 against the New Orleans Saints?
Matt Rhule highlighted the need for his offense to get more wide receivers involved after deploying only D.J. Moore, Robbie Anderson, and Shi Smith for the majority of the season. However, the Carolina Panthers didn’t wish to include Terrace Marshall Jr. in their newfound approach.
The former second-round selection was a healthy scratch in Week 3 versus the New Orleans Saints, with Carolina preferring to activate Laviska Shenault Jr. for the first time since securing his services via trade from the Jacksonville Jaguars. Another significant setback for the player, who now faces an uncertain future as a result.
Marshall looked like a star in training camp for the second-straight year before another injury hindered his growth. This was something that increased frustrations surrounding the wideout, with Rhule laying down the gauntlet in his direction before the final round of cuts.
This led many to believe Marshall might be moved on in a potential trade and there were reportedly calls from others to see what the compensation might be. Carolina opted to keep faith with the LSU product, but things are not looking too promising after this latest concerning turn of events.
The Panthers have a bit of time before the trade deadline. Things aren’t looking too promising for the organization overall after just three weeks, so if those in power decide to sacrifice certain individuals and bolster their draft capital in 2023, Marshall’s could be on the chopping block.
Trading Terrace Marshall Jr is a big call for Carolina Panthers to make
It’s a big call to make for Carolina. Especially considering the likes of Anderson and Rashard Higgins might not be around in 2023 due to salary and free agency.
But it’s clear something has to give where Marshall is concerned.
Someone with such outstanding physical attributes still has trade value no matter how ineffective he’s been so far. And we’ve seen countless players leave the current regime in Carolina only to thrive elsewhere.
Influential figures within the franchise saw enough in Marshall to avoid other clear needs in pursuit of what many deemed a luxury at that stage of the 2021 draft.
Just what the Panthers could get for Marshall is anyone’s guess. It’s unlikely to be anything like the No. 59 overall selection they allocated to the receiver, with a Day 3 pick probably the most realistic outcome in this scenario.
It’s an unfortunate situation for Marshall, who has undoubted talent even if he has had a hard time putting everything together in a competitive setting. Maybe a fresh start is exactly what the player needs and it’s not like Rhule or his staff have proven credentials when it comes to successfully developing NFL talent.
The word bust is harsh. Marshall could go on to have a productive professional career, but one cannot rule out the prospect of that being away from Carolina right now.
When the Panthers needed an immediate contributor, Marshall turned out to be anything but. Another prime example of poor decision-making from an organization that is facing huge questions about its current direction.