Panthers News: Frank Reich, Miles Sanders, Austin Corbett and Brian Burns

Could the Carolina Panters trade Brian Burns?

The Carolina Panthers haven't thrown in the towel on their 2023 chances just yet. But sitting at 0-4 with the prospect of coming up against two legitimate playoff contenders before they go into a Week 7 bye doesn't exactly paint the most positive picture.

To make matters worse, the Panthers don't have a first-round pick in 2024 following their trade to No. 1 overall earlier this spring. As it stands right now, this is a top-two pick, which could lead the Chicago Bears to quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. if their front office had any sense.

Some tough decisions await. According to Joe Person of The Athletic, the Panthers should seriously consider trading Brian Burns, although the compensation won't be anything like what they turned down from the Los Angeles Rams before the 2022 deadline all things considered.

"If the Panthers continue at their current pace, they’ll need to think hard about dealing Pro Bowl edge rusher Brian Burns, the one player who could help them recoup some of the draft capital they traded to the Chicago Bears to move up to draft Young. General manager Scott Fitterer needs to start restocking the pick pantry, whether he’s still around for the draft or not. The haul for Burns likely wouldn’t be as substantial as the Los Angeles Rams’ offer of two first-round picks and a third at last year’s deadline, since the acquiring team would have to meet Burns’ contract demands of becoming one of the league’s top-paid edge rushers or use a franchise tag expected to be north of $21 million for defensive ends in 2024. Trading Burns would leave the Panthers with no ascending edge rushers on the roster. So be it."

- Joe Person, The Athletic

This would leave the Panthers desperately short of reliable edge rushing options, but the former Florida State star represents one of their most valuable commodities. Burns looked visibly deflated after this weekend's loss - which is understandable considering he's experienced nothing but winning since being drafted - so the chances are he would likely relish a fresh start on a team with better prospects in the short and long term.