Panthers news: Mike Williams, Jordan Fuller, free agency and Brian Burns

Brian Burns' value

The Carolina Panthers ended their long-running saga with Brian Burns by trading him to the New York Giants. This remains a heated topic for debate among the fanbase, especially considering those in power have yet to secure a legitimate No. 1 edge rushing option despite hosting Chase Young and Jadeveon Clowney.

After turning down two first-round picks and a second-rounder from the Los Angeles Rams for Burns, some fans were furious about the eventual compensation. This will look like peanuts if the former Florida State star thrives in a different environment, but Darin Gantt from the team's website provided some clarity about what led to this point.

"The short answer is "yesterday's price is not today's price." At the time when the Rams made the now-mythical offer of a second-rounder and two ones for Burns (in October 2022), it wasn't as easy a call as many consider it to be now. There's also the fact that Burns had a year and a half's worth of contract at the time, and there was none this week when he was dealt to the Giants. That cost certainty has value all its own. Guys with time left on their deals are more valuable than guys without. Was hanging onto Burns in the face of a desperate offer in 2022 the right decision? It's easy to question it now. It's more nuanced when you consider the human factors at the time and the fact that Burns was supposed to be a key part of what they thought was going to be a better team in 2023. It didn't work out that way. So they moved forward."

- Darin Gantt, Panthers.com

The Panthers mismanaged this situation terribly under the previous regime. Dan Morgan was part of that decision-making process and had to clean up the mess. Burns will be missed, but those in power felt like giving him such a big financial commitment in their current plight was a step too far.