Panthers-Dolphins trade proposal gives Carolina 25-sack Patrick Jones replacement

Don't look now, but the Carolina Panthers are 4-3 going into Week 8 and are on the cusp of being buyers rather than sellers at the trade deadline next month.

One major area of need for Carolina is the edge rusher group, where the Panthers were already in rough shape before the season-ending injury to outside linebacker Patrick Jones.

After seven games, the Panthers have totaled just 11 sacks, which is tied for the fifth-fewest in the NFL, and rookies Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen have combined for just three sacks. Umanmielen is now dealing with an injury, also.

To try and help remedy the situation, Logan Ulrich of NFL Trade Rumors has proposed a trade between Carolina and the Miami Dolphins that would land edge rusher Jaelan Phillips.

Here's a look at the proposal, along with Ulrich's write-up on it:

Panthers get: EDGE Jaelan Phillips

Dolphins get: 2026 fourth-round pick

"By trading for Phillips and giving him an extension as a part of the deal, the Panthers could move to skip the rush of open free agency and lock up an edge rusher who could help take their group up a few levels," Ulrich said. "The team has a winning record for the first time in a while, but it’s still clear that the Panthers have work to do to upgrade the talent on the roster to truly compete with the top teams in the conference. A big swing by GM for a pass rusher might help close the gap."

A former first-round pick in 2021, Phillips showed a ton of promise over the first 42 games of his career after tallying 22 of his 25 career sacks in that span.

However, his career momentum was derailed by injuries, although Phillips is finally healthy this season and has posted two sacks and 20 pressures in seven games.

The Dolphins are an absolute dumpster fire and should look to sell off pieces at the deadline to get some draft capital for a rebuild.

Phillips is a logical trade candidate seeing as how he's in the final year of his deal, although it's possible Miami wants to hold on to him given the fact he's young enough (26) to still be in Miami's long-term plans.

That said, Phillips should be on the Panthers' radar if available.

Carolina can extend Phillips now for what could be a bargain price given his recent history, and such a move would prove to be a steal if Phillips returns to the form we saw over the first few campaigns of his career.

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