3 free-agent moves from NFC South rivals that Carolina Panthers fans can laugh at
By Dean Jones
Chase Young
The Carolina Panthers took the tough decision to trade edge rusher Brian Burns. This brought an end to the player's contract saga, which was managed horribly. Dan Morgan had to clean up the mess and accept far less than the market value for one of the league's most explosive pass-rushers.
Morgan's brought in D.J. Wonnum and K'Lavon Chaisson so far. Much more is needed, especially given the Panthers also lost the defensive services of Yetur Gross-Matos and Frankie Luvu soon after the legal tampering period began.
Carolina brought in Chase Young for a visit, but he left without a deal. The former No. 2 overall selection eventually signed a one-year deal that could be worth up to $13 million with the New Orleans Saints. Aside from his indifferent production since winning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year - an award more deserving to Jeremy Chinn - a concerning scenario emerged in the signing's immediate aftermath.
Young's medical testing revealed a serious neck injury that required surgery. Teams weren't happy with his health assessment, which was made worse by a stinger suffered in the preseason. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated claimed it should have been picked up during his pre-draft tests, but COVID-19 restrictions mean reports were sketchy at best.
New Orleans is gambling heavily on the once generational defensive end finally fulfilling his promise. That's no guarantee and the neck complication could mean it ends up being a complete disaster.