Panthers linked to 72-sack, 5-time Pro Bowler as trade target

Carolina needs help on their edge rotation, and they might as well think big.

CHARLOTTE, NC - SEPTEMBER 15: Joey Bosa #97 of the Los Angeles Chargers sacks Bryce Young #9 of the Carolina Panthers during a football game at Bank of America Stadium on September 15, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. | (Photo by David Jensen/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The first wild trade of the NFL offseason happened last night, when the San Francisco 49ers send Deebo Samuel and his sizable contract to the Washington Commanders in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick. That sounds like a small price to pay for a player of Samuel's caliber, and the Carolina Panthers should have been in on it, having one of the best picks in the fifth round of the draft.

There will be other opportunities to make a big splash acquisition this offseason, though. And if the Panthers are going to make a blockbuster type deal, they should probably be looking to improve what was the worst defense of all time last season.

One name to watch is that of Los Angeles Chargers edge Joey Bosa, who seems untouchable right now but the same was true of Deebo Samuel not too long ago. Bleacher Report has linked Bosa to the Detroit Lions as a trade target, but Last Word on Sports thinks the Panthers could get involved.

"While the Panthers could use a top-10 pick on a pass rusher, they should be interested in a proven veteran like Joey Bosa. Even if he’s lost a step since the late 2010’s, he’d still be the best edge defender on this roster."

Dec 15, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Joey Bosa (97) warms up prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at SoFi Stadium. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Trading for Bosa would immediately vault him to the top of Carolina's edge rotation ahead of Jadeveon Clowney and DJ Wonnum. Bosa was a first-round draft pick by the Chargers back in 2016 and since then he's made five Pro Bowl teams and put up 72 sacks, 156 quarterback hits and 87 tackles for a loss in 107 games. There are only a handful of better edge defenders around the league.

The big obstacle here is of course Bosa's contract, which only has one year remaining but also carries a cap hit just under $35.5 million. To even fit him on the books the Panthers would have to make a bunch of cap-saving moves, and it would leave no room to address other defensive needs - of which there are many. Carolina should probably look elsewhere to fill this need.

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