Should the Carolina Panthers go for broke with Brandon Aiyuk trade?

Should the Carolina Panthers go for broke with a potential trade for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk this offseason?

It's no secret that the Carolina Panthers will be looking to upgrade the weapons around Bryce Young this offseason. The quarterback cannot go into another campaign with subpar talent at the skill positions. This has to be the team's top priority if they want to stand any chance of maximizing his rookie contract.

Young's showed capabilities as a pocket passer. But the fact Adam Thielen had to step up and be Carolina's primary asset in the passing game spoke volumes about the lack of dependability with others. Aside from second-round pick Jonathan Mingo, one could make a strong case for the Panthers implementing a complete overhaul in their wide receiver room.

The Panthers don't have much money to throw around - especially if defensive core pieces such as Frankie Luvu and Brian Burns are extended. Manipulating the cap is the first objective for Brandt Tilis. Dan Morgan's job will be to find the right pieces to help Young excel.

This is a deep class of wide receivers emerging from the college ranks. Those in power should take advantage of that. There should be a few viable options in free agency. Carolina might not have the financial means to attract some of the bigger names, but one couldn't rule out the possibility of getting potential bargains if opportunities present themselves.

Then, there's the trade market. This was a preferred method of previous general manager Scott Fitterer's roster building. He went for reclamation projects that couldn't meet expectations more often than not. If this is an avenue Morgan wants to pursue, the new front-office leader must think bigger.

Carolina Panthers should monitor Brandon Aiyuk's situation

According to Dan Graziano of ESPN, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers are coming to loggerheads regarding his new deal. The Niners have several players making whopping annual sums thanks in no small part to Brock Purdy's seventh-round rookie contract. With one year left until the signal-caller becomes extension-eligible, the chickens are coming home to roost.

Although nothing has been confirmed one way or another, Graziano predicted that San Francisco would end up trading Aiyuk. It's something that should put the Panthers on red alert.

"[Brandon] Aiyuk's situation looms the largest over this 49ers offseason, and if they can't find a way to a contract extension, the talented wideout could theoretically ask to be traded to a team that's willing and able to pay him. I want to stress that this is speculative. To me, the most likely way this shakes out is Aiyuk ends up getting traded to a team where he's the clear No. 1 wideout and where he can get the extension he wants, leaving the Niners to draft his replacement in the first round. That's the cleanest way for them to address all of their other needs."

- Dan Graziano, ESPN

This has been a hot topic for discussion among the fanbase on social media. Some want Morgan to swing for the fences and provide Young with one of the league's most dynamic wideouts entering their prime. Others want to build through the draft and hope this more traditional method pays off.

The pros and cons of both scenarios are legitimate. While David Tepper is now preaching patience after years of quick fixes blowing up in the billionaire owner's face, one doesn't have to look far around the NFL to see how struggling teams can take immediate leaps forward with the correct recruitment.

Aiyuk is a game-changer. He's explosive and a crisp route-runner. He creates separation at will and is an immense problem in red-zone or contested catch situations. It's a long shot, but inquiring if the Niners start taking calls is worth considering to see what they might want.

Of course, anyone taking on Aiyuk will also be obliged to give the former first-round pick out of Arizona State a hefty contract extension. According to Spotrac, this could be around $23 million per season. It's a lot, but there's just no telling what a legitimate WR1 like this would do for Young's fortunes moving forward.

It's the time of year for speculation and dreaming. Acquiring Aiyuk would make the entire NFL sit up and take notice. Many fans also think it's time the Panthers stopped settling for scraps after years of personnel mismanagement under Matt Rhule and Fitterer.

Although trading for Aiyuk seems unlikely, it couldn't be dismissed entirely. Watch this space, I guess…