NFL insider has bad news for Carolina Panthers on trade market

The Carolina Panthers had a glaring need at edge rusher a year ago. Today, that need still exists, and it could be a little bit worse. Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen are promising rookies, but they're rookies who weren't first-round picks and have yet to really play a ton of snaps.

DJ Wonnum has been very mediocre, and Pat Jones just suffered an injury that will keep him out for the rest of the season. With the pass rush already ailing, but the Panthers somehow 3-3 and not out of the playoff race, a move could be made on the trade market to fix the rush. Unfortunately, that's extremely unlikely.

Don't expect an edge rusher trade for Carolina Panthers

Nic Scourton, Panther — Oct 12, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers linebacker Nic Scourton (11) and defensive end Derrick Brown (95) tackle Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams (33) short of the goal line during the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

So the Carolina Panthers need an edge rusher. A lot of teams do as well. So much so, in fact, that there's probably going to be a ton of teams left out when the deadline rolls around. There are a lot of edge-needy teams and not a lot of rushers.

Charlotte Observer reporter Mike Kaye spoke with an executive who believes supply and demand will be a huge issue. "More teams interested than teams selling it seems like," the exec said. That's bad news for the Panthers.

That ultimately means that there will be a bidding war for the likes of Trey Hendrickson, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and others who are theoretically available. The Panthers can't afford to engage in a bidding war, nor should they. Even at 3-3 and in the wild-card hunt, they're not good enough to justify a big swing in 2025.

The other bad news is that they probably can't afford to part with Wonnum, either. He's a free agent who's not part of the future plans, so getting something for him would be good, and the value would probably rise in a depleted market.

But moving on from him would leave the Panthers dangerously thin off the edge. Scourton and Umanmielen would become every-down rushers, which is not an ideal scenario. Thomas Incoom, a special teams player, is the only other OLB listed on the roster.

Therefore, the only way the Panthers can trade Wonnum is if they bring someone else in, but there isn't anyone else that's affordable to the Panthers. It's an unfortunate situation that will cost the team some draft capital (for Wonnum) and won't help the ailing rush.

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