The Carolina Panthers are currently trying to figure out if they have to trade Brian Burns, but a recent article from NFL Network’s Adam Rank suggests Derrick Brown could be on the move too. Burns is set to hit free agency as of this posting, but the Panthers will almost certainly use the franchise tag to keep him around. If that happens, then the vast majority of Carolina’s cap space will go to the pass rusher.
This team needs to find some way to support quarterback Bryce Young, and they’ll need to get creative if Burns stays on the team. With no other avenue to acquire picks and not enough projected cap space to go after free agents, Rank proposes using a Derrick Brown trade to fix both of those problems.
Brown is a solid piece, and you could reason that he should be considered the anchor for a young defense. But his contract is up after the coming campaign…
The Panthers, who gave up a whole bunch to secure Bryce Young’s services in last year’s draft (including their first-round selection this April and second-rounder in the 2025 draft), need to restock the draft coffers with picks.
Adam Rank: Panthers Should Consider A Derrick Brown Trade
It’s hard to know exactly what the Carolina Panthers will do in the next few weeks. On the one hand, Derrick Brown is entering his age-26 season and the team won’t want to trade away a potential building block on the defense. Brown made his first Pro Bowl in 2023, recording an NFL-record 103 tackles (most ever for a defensive tackle), and should maintain this high level of play for at least the next few years.
On the other hand, a defensive tackle can only impact the game so much. A contender could trade for Derrick Brown to be the missing piece on a championship-caliber team, but the Panthers are far from competing. Carolina’s only priority for the upcoming season should be supporting their former first-overall pick, and with no first-round pick in 2024 and cap space possibly slim, getting rid of Brown might be the only way for Carolina to give Bryce Young decent weapons.
Chances are, the decision to trade Derrick Brown will come down to the compensation. The reigning Pro Bowler doesn’t get off the quarterback too frequently, but there aren’t many players better than him at eating up double teams and disrupting the run game. Essentially, he’s a new-age Vince Wilfork in a pass-heavy game. If anyone is going to give up noteworthy assets for a player like that, it’s these five teams.
Potential Team Fits
Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders had one of the worst defenses in the league by just about every metric. While the offense didn’t set the world on fire, the defense could not stop anyone. First-year head coach Dan Quinn will try to build from the inside out, and that starts by getting a massive space-eating defensive tackle in a Derrick Brown trade. Armed with the most cap space in the league and multiple mid-round picks, this team should have the resources to acquire the defensive tackle and give him a new contract.
New York Jets
The New York Jets are going all-in on the final years of Aaron Rodgers, so they might as well trade for Derrick Brown. Quinnen Williams is an elite defensive tackle, but nobody else on the depth chart is anything more than just a serviceable role player. Adding Brown into the mix would unquestionably give the Jets the best interior offensive line in football. Nobody will be able to run up the middle against this team, and quarterbacks won’t have a pocket to step into when they throw.
Los Angeles Chargers
Few teams value the run game more than first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh. The former Michigan coach has spent the entire offseason talking about building a running game for Justin Herbert, so it would make sense that he’d want to have a defense capable of shutting down opposing rushing attacks. Los Angeles has had a tough time stopping runs up the middle for the past few years, and they could solve this problem easily with a Derrick Brown trade. While they might have some trouble making the money work, they could always release Mike Williams for some immediate cap support.
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints restructured Derek Carr’s contract as the team once again goes all-in and refuses to rebuild. Since it’s officially playoffs or bust for this organization, they might as well trade for Derrick Brown and shore up the biggest weakness on their roster. The only question is whether the Panthers would ever trade a player as good as Brown to a division rival.
Kansas City Chiefs*
The only reason the Kansas City Chiefs would ever trade for Derrick Brown is if they’re unable to re-sign Chris Jones. Jones is arguably the most disruptive defensive tackle in the league, and while Brown can’t replicate that production all by himself, he would help to fill that void in the defense. The Chiefs are going for the elusive three-peat, and if they want to make history, they’ll go all-in on making the best roster possible for the 2024 season.
Main Photo: Jim Dedmon – USA Today Sports
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