4 reasons Panthers could have traded Brian Burns and D.J. Moore

Carolina Panthers could have accelerated their rebuild

Whether the Carolina Panthers want to admit it or not, the significant mess left behind by previous head coach Matt Rhule could take years to clean up. Giving an inexperienced NFL coach almost absolute power was the biggest mistake David Tepper made since buying the franchise from Jerry Richardson, so accelerating their upcoming rebuild was an opportunity missed all things considered.

This is what the Panthers reportedly turned down for Brian Burns and D.J. Moore.

• 2023 first-round pick (potential top-10 from Green Bay)
• 2024 first-round pick
• 2025 first-round pick
• 2023 second-round pick (potential high-end from the Rams)

That’s a big call to make. Both players are talented and influential, but one cannot ignore the endless possibilities that Carolina could have had in this scenario.

The Green Bay Packers aren’t going to offer that pick again. It’s unlikely that the Los Angeles Rams will come back in given how things are currently unfolding for the defending Super Bowl champions.

Of course, having picks counts for nothing if the likes of general manager Scott Fitterer can’t find the right guys. Tepper’s influence on team affairs is also something that threatens to hold the team back unless he takes a back seat moving forward.

The Panthers couldn’t have gone wrong either way in this scenario. Burns and Moore are young and arguably the team’s most consistent players, but everyone has a price and only time will tell as to whether or not this was the correct avenue to go down.