Three Players the Panthers Should Deem Untouchable

New Panthers head coach Matt Rhule has been on record saying that they will be open to any and all ways of improving the roster. With the team willing to listen to trade offers, here are three guys the Panthers should put on the “untouchable” list.
QB Cam Newton
Now is not the time for the Panthers to go enter a “divorce” with the franchise quarterback. He still has some good years of football left ahead of him, but it all comes down to him staying healthy. Carolina has some really good weapons at the skill positions, they’ll just need to tighten the bolts on the offensive line and field a good defense to get back to winning football. The Panthers aren’t as far away as many think.
RB Christian McCaffrey
One could argue that McCaffrey is maybe even more valuable than Cam Newton. Last season, he became just the third player in the history of the NFL to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in both rushing and receiving. Guys like this don’t come around very often and what is even more impressive is that he’s only 23 years old. General manager Marty Hurney should have to be more than overwhelmed to even consider dealing away his most valuable asset.
OLB Brian Burns
I know it is extremely early in his career to be sold on him as a long-term successful player, but he’s got all the tools to do so. He finished his rookie season 4th among all rookies in sacks with 7.5 and most of that came in the latter half of the season. This may be more of a bold prediction than anything, but Burns has an extremely high ceiling and could lead this Carolina defense for years to come.
Do you agree with these three? If not, who else would you replace them with?
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Schuyler Callihan is the publisher of West Virginia On SI and has been a trusted source covering the Mountaineers since 2016. He is the host of Between The Eers, The Walk Thru Game Day Show, and In the Gun Podcast. The Wheeling, WV native moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2020 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and Carolina Panthers.