Panthers Could Trade For Chargers RB as Jonathon Brooks Faces Another Absence

Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks reaggravated his groin injury on Sunday. Near the end of the blowout win over the Atlanta Falcons, he went back to the locker room with the training staff.

We can all breathe a sigh of relief that it's just his groin and not his twice-repaired knee, but he's considered week-to-week, which isn't good. It would be a surprise if he were active this weekend against the Cleveland Browns.

Given Brooks' history, it's worth considering if he's going to miss multiple weeks at this point. He has never been able to stay healthy at the NFL level. Could the Panthers trade for a running back in the meantime?

Panthers could trade for Kimani Vidal after Jonathon Brooks' injury

Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks (25) rushes during the third quarter | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Carolina Panthers don't need to trade for a star running back to alleviate their problems. With AJ Dillon on the roster, they may not need to trade for one at all. That said, Jonathon Brooks could be out, so it's not a bad idea to get a bargain player.

Enter Kimani Vidal. Bleacher Report's Moe Moton believes the Los Angeles Chargers running back could be the interim answer to Carolina's backfield problems.

"General manager Dan Morgan could inquire about Kimani Vidal, who dropped to third on the depth chart after the Los Angeles Chargers signed Keaton Mitchell this past offseason," Moton wrote.

He continued, "Last season, Vidal excelled in a lead role, racking up a career-high 643 rushing yards and three touchdowns while Omarion Hampton missed time with an ankle injury."

So far, the Chuba Hubbard-led backfield has ranked 20th in the NFL, which is much lower than we would've expected. The Bryce Young passing attack has been much better than expected, but adding Vidal could give the Panthers what they need to truly balance it out.

Los Angeles Chargers running back Kimani Vidal (28) before the game against the Houston Texans | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Vidal wouldn't cost much as a third-string running back. The only holdup is that Brooks likely isn't even going to land on Injured Reserve, so they'd be parting with a draft pick for someone who'd fill a backup role for maybe three weeks.

Plus, Dillon showed in preseason that he's capable of handling a workload, and Trevor Etienne will be back sooner rather than later. Vidal certainly isn't a need. That said, if the price is low enough, it would not be a bad idea to bring him in to help boost the offense over the next few weeks.

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