Panthers Trading for Njoku Would Tighten Gap in NFC South
As Browns tight end David Njoku seeks a trade out of Cleveland, the Carolina Panthers should be one of those teams making a phone call to see what the asking price is.
Carolina's offense already has some elite firepower to it with the likes of D.J. Moore, Curtis Samuel, and Robby Anderson in the passing game, and Christian McCaffrey being the workhorse out of the backfield.
The team has seemingly addressed every area of the roster on all three sides of the football except for tight end. Now may be the best opportunity for the Panthers to not only upgrade the position, but make things a little more interesting inside the NFC South division.
As we near closer to the start of the 2020 season, the NFC South is widely viewed as one of, if not the toughest division in the NFL. Drew Brees and Matt Ryan are back to lead the Saints and Falcons as both have several weapons in their arsenal, including some new pieces. Tampa Bay added Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski to the fold, putting the talent in the division at an all-time high. And then there is the Panthers, the team everyone is forgetting about or leaving out of the conversation.
Yes, Carolina released Cam Newton and Greg Olsen. Yes, Luke Kuechly retired. Yes, they let go several veterans off of their defense. But they may have actually improved their overall personnel, although young.
The defense in 2019 was horrendous, especially against the run. So they retooled the defensive line with Derrick Brown, Yetur Gross-Matos, and Stephen Weartherly. The defense still may be a year or two away from being a legitimate force, but to win games in this division, you need offensive fireworks and that's exactly what the Panthers have.
Should the Panthers make the trade for David Njoku, this may not be a three team conversation anymore. I don't believe this makes the Panthers an immediate playoff threat or a threat to win the division, but now, you have four high-powered offenses that can compete with anyone. Adding Njoku could have the Panthers in a position to finish third in the division, instead of dead last.
As for the future, the Panthers would have Njoku under control for the 2021 season as well. This is really when the Panthers can start to make their ascend up the division. Making this trade isn't only beneficial to the Panthers now, but in the immediate future as well. Drew Brees will be retiring following the 2020 season and Tom Brady can't have too much left in the tank. The window for the Panthers to be a contender isn't too far ahead.
Do you think the Panthers trading for Njoku makes things more interesting in the NFC South? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!
You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top righthand corner of the page. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook & Twitter:
Facebook - @PanthersOnSI
Twitter - @SI_Panthers and Schuyler Callihan at @Callihan_.
