The Carolina Panthers made one of the most impactful moves of the offseason, trading two first-round picks, two second-round picks and wideout D.J. Moore to the Chicago Bears for the right to make the first selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. We usually don't see star players included in these kinds of trades, but what Bears general manager Ryan Poles desired was different.
This week, The Athletic published a story with quotes from both Poles and Panthers GM Scott Fitterer explaining how this transaction went down. While the article is full of intriguing tidbits, one that stood out involved the players the Panthers refused to part ways with in negotiations.
After coming to the conclusion that an ideal trade would include a player, Poles turned his attention to Panthers star pass rusher Brian Burns, defensive tackle Derrick Brown and Moore. All three players were first-round picks, and Moore eventually served as the extra "one" Carolina sent over -- three first-round "picks" and two second-rounders.
"We couldn't get there with just picks," Fitterer said. "So we argued that D.J. was worth a 1, plus somebody else. We both agreed how valuable he would be for a young quarterback, to give him a proper evaluation."
As for Burns and Brown, Fitterer said it's just too difficult to replace them -- even with Moore being a staple of Carolina's offense. Contracts also factored into this process, as Brown and Burns are on their rookie deals, while Moore inked a three-year extension just last offseason.
"There were certain players that we never really wanted to trade," Fitterer said. "It's so hard to replace a Derrick Brown or Brian Burns, a pass rusher (and) an interior, dominant young player on a (first) contract. D.J., we didn't want to move either. But it's a little bit easier to replace a receiver than it is a pass rusher or a three-tech."
Burns is a legitimate star. The Florida State product recorded a career-high 12.5 sacks in 2022 after recording nine sacks in both 2020 and 2021. How much do the Panthers like Burns? Well, they reportedly turned down a trade offer from the Los Angeles Rams that included at least two first-round picks!
As for Brown, we can't say he's an NFL "star" just yet, but the big man has shown flashes of dominance in the trenches. He recorded a career-high 67 combined tackles, seven passes defensed, 12 QB hits and one sack in 2022, and could be set up to have another career year in 2023.
The Panthers defense is talented, and Carolina's brass wasn't going to part ways with a couple of building blocks to trade up to No. 1 overall.
