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Trade proposal sends Browns' former first-round NFL draft pick to Panthers

If it’s fixing a defensive unit, the Panthers continue to be a popular subject. An NFL analyst suggests how the team could add a veteran to its leaky secondary.

Russell Baxter

Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II (0) reacts to a ball sailing out of bounds during the first quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II (0) reacts to a ball sailing out of bounds during the first quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The Carolina Panthers have not been to the playoffs since 2017. In 2023, they finished with the worst record in the league. They made strides last season under new head coach Dave Canales, especially late in the year. With an improving Bryce Young behind center, the club won four of its final nine games after a miserable 1-7 start.

The focal point for this team is obviously working on the league’s bottom-ranked defensive unit, which included a pass rush that managed on 32 sacks in 2024, There are problems throughout Ejiro Evero’s unit.

Newsome vs. Chargers
Nov 3, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II (0) knocks the ball away from Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston (1) during the second half at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Moe Moton of Bleacher Report points out that Cleveland Browns' cornerback Greg Newsome II, a first-round pick in 2021, has one year left on his contract that saw the Browns pick up his fifth-year option.

“Newsome is entering the final year of his rookie deal. He is coming off a down season, allowing a 112.5 passer rating. In his best campaign (2023), he recorded 14 pass breakups and two interceptions, but the 24-year-old has missed seven games over the last two seasons. Cleveland could move on from Newsome a year early and pick up a draft pick for him if it embarks upon a rebuild this offseason.

“Perhaps the Carolina Panthers show interest in Newsome because of their need at cornerback. Jaycee Horn has struggled to stay healthy, missing 31 games in four seasons, and Mike Jackson will be a free agent. The Panthers gave up the most points and yards of any team last season, so they should take advantage of any opportunity to bolster their defense.”

Adding to a secondary that was part of a defensive unit that allowed a whopping 59 offensive touchdowns in 17 games certainly makes sense. As Moton mentioned, Carolina allowed the most points in the league (534) in 2024. In fact, that’s the highest single-season total in NFL history.

As for those aforementioned 59 offensive TDs, that includes 35 through the air. That was also the most in the NFL this past season. A lot of work to be done here in all regards.

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Russell Baxter
RUSSELL BAXTER

Russell S. Baxter has been writing and researching the game of football for more than 40 years, and on numerous platforms. That includes television, as he spent more than two decades at ESPN, and was part of shows that garnered five Emmy Awards. He also spent the 2015 NFL season with Thursday Night Football on CBS/NFLN.