Panthers acquire Pro Bowl WR in startling trade proposal

The Carolina Panthers are being predicted to swing a startling trade for this former Pro Bowl wide receiver.

Dec 10, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel (19) jumps in the air during a break in the action against the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

One way or another, the Carolina Panthers have to acquire some more weapons for quarterback Bryce Young this offseason.

Whether that's via free agency, trades or the NFL Draft, it doesn't matter. The Panthers simply have to do it in order to set Young up for success in his pivotal third NFL season.

The issue is that Carolina has limited money to spend, which will complicate things for the team in free agency. The Panthers will have to get creative either in opening up cap room or potentially pursuing trades for players on their rookie contracts.

On the other hand, Cory Woodroof of USA Today envisions another scenario for Carolina: swinging a trade with the San Francisco 49ers to acquire wide receiver Deebo Samuel.

"Samuel, a South Carolina native, could return to the East Coast and help out quarterback Bryce Young the Carolina Panthers as the team’s de-facto top receiver," Woodroof wrote. "The 49ers land a third-round pick in exchange and go in a new direction at the position, while the Panthers give Young the kind of star presence at receiver he needs to continue his development. A receiving trio of Samuel, Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker could help Young out a ton in the passing game, and it would give Carolina the chance to trade veteran receiver Adam Thielen some time in the offseason."

Trading a third-round pick for Samuel might actually be a good idea for the Panthers, who could use another veteran playmaker in their employ.

Samuel is coming off of 2024 campaign in which he caught 51 passes for 670 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for 136 yards and a score.

It was a down season for the 29-year-old, but perhaps a change of scenery would do him a whole lot of good (which is probably why he requested a trade). Plus, he has a Pro Bowl under his belt.

Carolina currently has Adam Thielen, Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker penciled in as its top three receivers for 2025, so adding Samuel into the fold would certainly make things interesting.

Dec 17, 2023; Glendale, Ariz, United States; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel (19) poses after a touchdown catch against the Arizona Cardinals during the fourth quarter at State Farm Stadium. / Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

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