Rumors continue to swirl around the Carolina Panthers potentially swinging for the fences to acquire edge rusher Trey Hendrickson via trade.
The All-Pro defensive end remains at loggerheads with the Cincinnati Bengals over a new contract. After the AFC North club actively sought offers, general manager Dan Morgan has reportedly entered the sweepstakes, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
Whether there's any legitimate substance to this report is anyone's guess. Morgan isn't one to reveal his intentions in public, so it's a waiting game for fans. At the same time, it would be a huge shock if the front-office leader parted ways with the compensation Cincinnati is supposedly looking for.
Carolina Panthers touted Trey Hendrickson trade package seems excessive
Daniel Chavkin from Sporting News put together a trade package he believes is a win-win for all parties. The analyst had the Panthers giving up a 2026 first-round pick, in addition to nose tackle Bobby Brown III and pass-rusher D.J. Wonnum, in exchange for Hendrickson and a fourth-rounder.
"In 2024, the Panthers had one of the worst defenses in the NFL, and adding [Trey] Hendrickson would be a big boost to their up-and-coming team. Carolina doesn't have the young talent that some other teams could offer Cincinnati, but Wonnum is a quality player who had four sacks in eight games and Brown is a solid player entering the first year of a three-year deal with Carolina."Daniel Chavkin
This seems excessive. And again, it doesn't quite align with the way Morgan is trying to build Carolina's roster right now.
If the Panthers were right on the cusp of postseason contention, it's a different story. That's not the case. Giving up their first-round pick, especially when it could be relatively high once again, represents a gamble of epic proportions.
Hendrickson is among the league's most dominant pass-rushers. He's got 17.5 sacks in each of the last two years, which is production Carolina hasn't benefited from since Julius Peppers was around. But the Bengals' demands, coupled with the fact that Morgan would have to give him a lucrative extension with substantial guarantees attached, make it difficult to envisage this becoming anything more than speculation.
Morgan was right to inquire if the Bengals are getting serious about entertaining trade offers, from a due diligence standpoint. But reading between the lines, fans shouldn't expect this to go any further.
Of course, nothing should be completely dismissed. Still, this seems like a step too far for the Panthers at this stage of Morgan's comprehensive rebuild.