Panthers Urged to Put Player on Trade Block They Simply Can't Afford to Lose

It’s been a rough few months for Dave Canales’s club. And it actually started well before the team’s recent rash of season-ending injuries to edge rusher Nic Scourton and rookie wideout Chris Brazzell II, as well as the medical issues for reliable right tackle Taylor Moton.

It’s been a challenging offseason for the Carolina Panthers

Back in May, veteran defensive lineman Tershawn Wharton underwent neck surgery. A year ago, the two-time Super Bowl champion inked a three-year, $45.05 million deal with the Carolina Panthers. The former Chiefs’ defender missed four of the club’s first six contests, as well as Carolina’s final five regular-season games, however he did return for the playoff clash with the Los Angeles Rams.

The six-year veteran finished with 36 stops, a pair of sacks, and three quarterback hits. Wharton played 50 snaps in the 34-31 loss to Sean McVay’s club in the wild card round, finishing with two tackles (1 for loss), and a pair of QB hits. The 28-year-old defender is still on the mend and it remains to be seen when he will return to the field.

Can the Panthers afford to trade defensive tackle Bobby Brown III?

And that’s why the notion of trading away an experience interior defender doesn’t seem to make much sense at this time. Longtime NFL writer Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report came up with one player from each NFL team that he feels should be available via trade. When it comes to the defending NFC South champions, his choice was also a 2025 free-agent addition like Wharton.

Every snap Panthers Rookie DT Lee Hunter played in the Hall of Fame game#KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/jrRRlHf7pH
— The Real Ball Watcher (@thaRBW) August 7, 2026

Last offseason, Morgan also signed Bobby Brown III away from the Rams to the tune of three years and $21 million. It has not proven to be a wise investment to date. “Brown appeared in all 17 games last season,” explained Knox, “finishing with 31 tackles and a half-sack. However, he only made five starts and was graded 80th overall among defensive linemen by Pro Football Focus. His long-term future became uncertain after the Panthers used a second-round pick on Lee Hunter, who is well suited for the nose tackle role."

Panthers should be in no rush to deal away a defensive lineman

Panthers' DT Cam Jackson — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

To be fair, Knox does mention Wharton’s issues as his “ongoing recovery from spring neck surgery clouds the defensive-line rotation a bit.” Still, he feels that if Hunter proves his worth this summer, dealing Brown would be a good move which would also open up some cap space for the team.

Along with Hunter, there’s also another young player to consider here. That’s second-year defensive tackle Cam Jackson—a fifth-round draft choice in 2025. He wound up playing in only nine regular-season games with zero starts. He finished with a mere nine tackles, but did block a field goal in the Week 18 loss at Tampa Bay. The massive 6’6”, 328-pound former Florida Gator appeared in the playoffs vs. the Rams but recorded no tackles.

At the moment, parting ways with Brown is probably not advisable (unless there’s an offer Morgan simply can’t refuse). However, there’s a lot of time between now and September 13.

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