Panthers news: Brian Burns, Brandt Tilis, Marquise Brown and J.J. Jansen

Brian Burns' projected trade value

Brian Burns is free to speak with other NFL teams after the Carolina Panthers gave him the non-exclusive franchise tag. What sort of market the edge rusher will commend is up for debate. Dan Morgan and Brandt Tilis can also match any offer that comes his way in pursuit of keeping their best pass-rusher around long-term.

Of course, they might refuse. This would spark negotiations about a potential trade. According to Josina Anderson of CBS Sports citing an unnamed source, the projected compensation is far lower than the two first-round picks some fans are deludedly hoping for.

The insider stated league sources believe a third-round pick is a fair compensation for Burns, which is laughable considering his age, talent, and overall importance. That said, it shed further light on how the previous regime completely mismanaged his situation.

"Regarding Carolina’s current situation with Brian Burns, a league source told me in their opinion, that the Panthers should adapt better to present circumstances in order to potentially consummate a trade. The source said in their view it’s a double whammy to pay huge money for a player, and also give huge Draft compensation to the other team for a deal. They added, the time to get more draft picks was when the player has years left on their deal; but if the player is in their last year—the other team has to be prepared to keep the player, or take less. I’ve heard some league sources say third-round compensation is fair for Burns if the acquiring team is also giving him a long-term deal, but that asking for 1-Plus is definitely too much for them."

- Josina Anderson via X

The Panthers' contract stalemate with Burns remains precarious. While it would be wise to keep the player around, it's still hanging in the balance with teams expected to make their move in the coming days.