Regrettable Carolina Panthers departure makes NFL history

Hindsight is a wonderful thing to have in life. Unfortunately, it doesn't make things any easier for Carolina Panthers fans who lament the rash decisions made by previous regimes on their alarming downward spiral since David Tepper bought the franchise from Jerry Richardson.

Former general manager Scott Fitterer made a lot of mistakes during his time at the helm. He was ultra-confident in his roster construction heading into the 2023 campaign. It was ill-advised and the front office leader paid with his job after the Panthers finished 2-15.

His boldest move by a considerable margin was trading for the No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. The compensation handed over to the Chicago Bears was extortionate. However, those in power at the time felt the Panthers were in a position to make such a move based on their roster assessments.

For those in need of a refresher, here is the trade in full.

The decision to include D.J. Moore in the package was arguably the most controversial, although giving up the No. 1 pick in 2024 wasn't in the script either. His high-level production would have been a major asset to any rookie signal-caller. He always put up quality numbers despite the carousel of signal-callers who followed in the wake of Cam Newton's departure. Fitterer felt putting him in the package over Brian Burns was the right call.

One could make a case for that had Fitterer not completely botched Burns' contract situation. After turning down a whopping trade offer from the Los Angeles Rams and the Bears' advances for the edge rusher, the Panthers lost all leverage. And yet, they still refused to pay the player.

Carolina Panthers left with regret after D.J. Moore pens new deal

Burns was eventually traded to the New York Giants this offseason for compensation way below his talent level. To add insult to injury, Moore thrived with the Bears and became an NFL history-maker this week as a result of his outstanding efforts.

The former first-round pick out of Maryland signed a four-year, $110 million extension with $82.6 million guaranteed. This ensures that the player's first 10 seasons in the league came with financial guarantees, which is an NFL first for wide receivers.

Watching Moore excel while the Panthers' offense stuttered last season was a bitter pill to swallow for fans. The pass-catcher was stung after getting the call from Fitterer as he was moving house. It's motivation he put to good use, making the ex-general manager look extremely foolish along the way.

If Bryce Young becomes the franchise quarterback everyone believed pre-draft, nobody will care too much about what the Panthers gave up to acquire him. The jury is still out on that. And with Burns gone, it only makes things worse.

Fitterer landed another job as an executive with the Washington Commanders. It would be a surprise if he ever touched a general manager interview again looking at the state he left the Panthers in. Dan Morgan's done an admirable job of cleaning it up in the months following his promotion, but it's most damage limitation rather than anything progressive at this stage.

Moore remains one of the league's most underrated wide receivers. He was also undervalued by Fitterer, who couldn't seem to get anything right with the watchful eye of Tepper constantly lurking over his shoulder.

In hindsight, Burns would have been included. But that's not how life works, unfortunately.

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