Panthers-Chiefs projected trade gives Bryce Young another top weapon

Marquise Brown to the Panthers? He might be available.

Jan 26, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Hollywood Brown (5) against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers have tried time and again to get Bryce Young a top wide receiver. They signed several, including Adam Thielen, before his first season. Then, they drafted Jonathan Mingo, traded for Diontae Johnson, and drafted Xavier Legette. This year, they drafted Tetairoa McMillan.

Those have worked to varying degrees, with some being outright busts (Johnson, Mingo). The hope is that McMillan will ultimately be the player they've searched for, but the jury is still out. Should they consider trading for someone else just in case? Last Word on Sports' Anthony Palacios thinks so.

Depending on how Jalen Royals performs for the Kansas City Chiefs, former first-round pick Marquise Brown could end up being available. If he is, Palacios believes the Panthers might want to call and try to get him.

He noted that this is likely Thielen's last year in the NFL, and that Jalen Coker and Legette are both relatively unproven. McMillan is no sure thing yet, either. To help Bryce Young excel in year three in the NFL, a trade like this might be wise in the analyst's eyes.

Brown could be, according to Palacios, a nice bridge between the outgoing Thielen, who has just one year left on his contract even if he doesn't retire, and the young crop of wide receivers Carolina is developing.

Right now, that addition would be a hard sell. The Panthers may not have the most elite wide receivers, but they have a lot of them. Even if they carry seven, that means some players will have to get cut, so adding another to the crowded room right now might not be wise, especially at the cost of draft compensation.

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