Carolina Panthers sacrifice draft pick to solve potentially hazardous need

It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the Carolina Panthers wanted to add reinforcements before the 2024 season. Dan Morgan promised to be active on the waiver wire holding the No. 1 priority. Anyone he wants that doesn't quite make the grade elsewhere, he'll get no questions asked.

Instead of waiting to see who might become available, Morgan struck with conviction. The Panthers agreed to trade for cornerback Mike Jackson, striking a deal with the Seattle Seahawks. It cost them linebacker Michael Barrett, a seventh-round draft pick who shone during the preseason but was pretty far down the depth chart.

Carolina Panthers deemed Michael Barrett a necessary sacrifice to solve cornerback woes

The Panthers had a desperate need to find another dependable veteran presence to go opposite Jaycee Horn. Dane Jackson was expected to fill the role but will be out for around six weeks with a hamstring issue. Dicaprio Bootle, D'Shawn Jamison, and rookie Chau Smith-Wade have impressed this summer. None of them come with Jackson's experience.

Jackson is a 6-foot-1 cornerback who can run. He's a former fifth-round selection with 17 pass breakups over the last two seasons. The defensive back was utilized more as a rotational piece during Pete Carroll's final season in 2023, but he's someone Dave Canales is familiar with after working together before he took the job in Tampa Bay.

The Miami product has the size and length Ejiro Evero looks for in his defense backs. Jackson is a willing helper in run support and can provide assured production in coverage when needed. Giving up 70.3 percent of his targets last season isn't ideal. At the same time, there needs to be a level of trust attached.

Morgan's got a long-term plan in place. He also knows how important it is to get off to a positive start. Nobody is expecting miracles in Year 1 of yet another substantial rebuild. However, the team's long-suffering support wants Carolina to be more competitive and provide them with a football product to be proud of.

That's come at the expense of Barrett, whose status on the 53-man roster was in question despite an encouraging enough offseason. If Morgan had already decided to cut the player loose before he'd played a competitive down, getting something in return was more beneficial than just placing him on the waiver wire.

It's a tough business. But the Seahawks like what they see in Barrett, so all hope is not lost.

Jackson will get a crash course in Evero's schematic demands in readiness to hit the ground running in Week 1 at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tempering expectations would be wise. That said, the bar isn't exactly high for an upgrade despite the flashes demonstrated by Bootle, Smith-Wade, and Jamison.

Morgan isn't going to sit on his hands in pursuit of progression. This is another example. Whether it comes off or not is another matter.

More Carolina Panthers news and analysis