Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers reportedly rejected a trade offer of two first-round picks for standout defensive end Brian Burns, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The 24-year-old Burns, who has four sacks this season and 29.5 sacks overall through 54 career games, reportedly is not on the trading block. Per Schefter, he is expected to "land a massive extension" this offseason.

In addition, Carolina has no plans to trade wide receiver DJ Moore, defensive lineman Derrick Brown and cornerback Jaycee Horn.

The 1-5 Panthers, who sport the league's worst record, have already made a few seismic changes this year with an eye toward the future.

Notably, they fired head coach Matt Rhule two-plus years into a seven-season deal and traded star running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers for four draft picks. Carolina also dealt wide receiver Robby Anderson to the Arizona Cardinals.

Despite the Panthers' insistence on not trading off more of their foundational players following McCaffrey's exit, they are listening to offers on others, including linebacker Shaq Thompson, per Schefter.

It's apparent that the Panthers aren't undergoing a complete rebuild and that they view certain players as "foundational pieces" to their roster moving forward. That was the reason given by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler as far as why Carolina isn't dealing Moore.

The trio of Burns, Moore and Horn all have a few things in common: They're first-round picks under the age of 25 at valued positions.

Burns is arguably the most prized player in that trio, and he's someone who the Panthers can build their defense around as they look toward a future with a new head coach and perhaps a rookie franchise quarterback.

The former Florida State star has amassed nine sacks in each of his last two years and earned his first Pro Bowl appearance in 2021. He's on track for a repeat Pro Bowl honor at this rate.

For now, Burns and the Panthers are hoping to get back in the win column when they play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

Multiple teams have reportedly expressed interest in Carolina Panthers pass-rusher Brian Burns amid the team's firesale.

During an appearance Saturday on SportsCenter, ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler said the Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs are among the teams that have inquired about Burns.

Carolina has already made some significant moves this season, firing head coach Matt Rhule before trading wide receiver Robbie Anderson to the Arizona Cardinals and running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers.

It isn't outside the realm of possibility that the Panthers would trade Burns since they have the NFL's worst record at 1-5, but it may not be likely.

Per Fowler, the Panthers have told teams they are "probably done" making trades and would prefer to keep a couple of their "core foundational pieces" in Burns and wide receiver D.J. Moore.

Still, the Panthers have apparently put a price tag on Burns, albeit a high one. Fowler said an anonymous NFL general manager told him Carolina is looking for at least two first-round picks in exchange for Burns.

If the asking price is accurate, the Rams would likely be hard-pressed to land Burns since their 2023 first-round pick belongs to the Detroit Lions via the Matthew Stafford trade.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs have all of their own first-round picks, and the Eagles have both their own and the New Orleans Saints' first-round picks in 2023.

Despite being 3-3, the Rams have Super Bowl aspirations after winning it all last year. The Eagles are perhaps now the Super Bowl favorite in the NFC as the last remaining undefeated team in the NFL, and the Chiefs are always a threat to go the distance with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback.

Acquiring Burns is a move that could help put any of those teams over the hump, given what he has accomplished thus far in his four-year NFL career.

The 2019 No. 16 overall pick out of Florida State has been productive since breaking into the league, finishing with 7.5 sacks as a rookie and following that up with nine sacks in both 2020 and 2021.

Burns also had 50 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles last season, earning him his first Pro Bowl selection.

The 24-year-old defensive end has been one of the few bright spots for Carolina this season, racking up 24 tackles and four sacks in six games.

Carolina has exercised the fifth-year option in Burns rookie contract for 2023, meaning he will make $16 million next season.

Burns is not tied to the Panthers beyond that, and if they decide they would rather not invest a ton of money in him moving forward, they seemingly have plenty of suitors to consider ahead of the Nov. 1 trade deadline.

Carolina Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer said the team isn't planning a full-blown fire sale following Thursday night's blockbuster trade of running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers.

"This isn't a situation where we're trying to sell," Fitterer told reporters Friday.

The second-year GM added it would take "something astronomical" to move other members of the core, such as wide receiver DJ Moore, defensive end Brian Burns or defensive tackle Derrick Brown.

Although the Panthers are hesitant to say they're set to enter a rebuilding phase, things are certainly trending in that direction.

Carolina is 1-5 and already fired head coach Matt Rhule, whose offensive pedigree wasn't enough to overcome a quarterback room that was led by Teddy Bridgewater (2020), Sam Darnold (2021) and Baker Mayfield (2022) during his three seasons in charge.

Bottoming out is the best route for the NFC South squad. Accumulating a massive amount of draft picks while potentially landing a top-five selection in the 2023 draft would represent fast-track progress toward a turnaround.

The McCaffrey trade was a strong start. They received four draft picks—second-, third- and fourth-rounders in the 2023 draft and a fifth-round selection in 2024—while also shedding the remainder of the 2019 Pro Bowler's four-year, $64.1 million contract.

Brown and Burns are still on team-friendly rookie contracts—Brown through 2024 and Burns through 2023—so moving them probably isn't necessary given their strong defensive impact, but dealing Moore should at least be considered before the Nov. 1 trade deadline.

The 25-year-old wideout has recorded just 20 catches for 204 yards and one touchdown through six games. Those numbers are more reflective of the team's putrid passing attack than his own abilities.

Moore, who's under contract through 2025 as part of a three-year, $61.9 million deal, had topped 1,100 receiving yards in each of the past three seasons.

Trading him to a contender for another haul of draft picks to basically press the reset button on offense, with the hope of landing a top quarterback prospect to build around in next year's draft, is probably the front office's best course of action.

Alabama's Bryce Young, Ohio State's C.J. Stroud and Kentucky's Will Levis are among the top signal-callers on early big boards for the 2023 draft.

All told, despite Fitterer's comments, expect the Panthers to remain one of the NFL's top sellers over the next couple of weeks leading up to the deadline.

Carolina is back in action Sunday when it welcomes Tom Brady and Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Bank of America Stadium for a divisional clash.

It's all about the future at this point for the Carolina Panthers, and that future may still include wide receiver D.J. Moore even after trading away Christian McCaffrey.

Carolina announced it traded McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday, and ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported it has also "received multiple trade calls" from teams interested in Moore. Yet Fowler noted "the team has considered Moore a foundational piece to the roster. That would make a trade tough to execute."

This has quickly turned into a lost season for the Panthers.

At quarterback, Sam Darnold has been out with an injury, and Baker Mayfield struggled before he was also sidelined. At head coach, the team already fired Matt Rhule and saw interim coach Steve Wilks send wide receiver Robbie Anderson to the locker room during Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

The Panthers have since traded Anderson to the Arizona Cardinals and are sitting in last place in the NFC South at 1-5.

Trading McCaffrey was just the latest signal that it is time to focus on the future in Carolina, and the draft-pick haul should help the team do just that.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, San Francisco sent the NFC South team a second-, third- and fourth-round pick in 2023 and a fifth-round pick in 2024. That certainly helps deal with the sting of losing a game-changer like McCaffrey, especially for a team that is not a realistic contender.

As long as the Panthers are moving their impact veterans for draft picks, Moore would seem like the next logical candidate.

Yet he is just 25 years old and under contract through 2025. There certainly exists a path where he is a foundational cornerstone for the franchise and a go-to option when it may be competitive again in the next few seasons.

That hasn't been the case this year, as he has struggled to make an impact with poor quarterback play.

The Maryland product who had three straight seasons of more than 1,100 receiving yards has 20 catches for 204 yards and one touchdown through six games in 2022. It has been far from the level of production fans are accustomed to, and plenty of fantasy managers would probably love to see him get a fresh start with a different offense.

Carolina may decide against making that fresh start happen.

The Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers surprised the football world by completing a trade for star running back Christian McCaffrey on Thursday night.

With the deal, the Panthers added a substantial haul of draft picks for 2023 and beyond, and now, their draft inventory looks like this:

The 49ers, on the other hand, don't have much draft capital next year after going all-in to land a two-time All-Pro running back:

In the official announcement of the trade, Panthers team reporter Darin Gantt wrote that the team is "adding draft inventory for the offseason as they look to build on a core of young players on defense." Carolina has selected a defensive player in the first round in three out of the last four drafts.

At 1-5, the Panthers look like the worst team in the NFL through the first six weeks of the 2022 season. The team fired former head coach Matt Rhule after a blowout loss to the 49ers in Week 5. Carolina also traded disgruntled wide receiver Robby Anderson to the Arizona Cardinals after he had a sideline confrontation with coaches in the middle of a game.

The move to trade McCaffrey continues the Panthers' transition to a rebuild. Carolina has a pair of quarterbacks who aren't signed beyond this season in Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold, both of whom are playing this year on their fifth-year options. Mayfield has struggled as the team's starter, while Darnold returned to practice this week after suffering an ankle injury in the preseason finale.

As for the 49ers, they are in full win-now mode. San Francisco has made deep postseason runs in each of its last two playoff appearances but fell short of its ultimate goal of a Super Bowl victory both times.

The 49ers clearly have no interest in building through the draft, as they feel their window for title contention is wider than ever. Only time will tell if the team's gamble was worth it.

Rival NFL executives reportedly believe the Carolina Panthers won't find a trade partner for star running back Christian McCaffrey before the Nov. 1 deadline if they require an offer with multiple first-round draft picks.

Joseph Person of The Athletic reported Wednesday that "no one in league circles" thinks the Panthers can get that type of package for McCaffrey and will instead have to consider either a single first-rounder or a "passel of Day 2 and Day 3 picks."

The initial report about the Panthers seeking multiple firsts for CMC, which came from Fox Sports' Peter Schrager on Sunday, was taken a bit out of context. Schrager suggested Carolina wanted that level of return as part of a complete roster tear down, including the possible exit of several key defenders, not necessarily just for the Pro Bowl running back.

In today's NFL, getting one first-round pick for any running back, even one with the high-end playmaking ability of McCaffrey, represents strong value. The position simply doesn't carry as much weight in the passing-dominated league.

It's also important to consider the 26-year-old Stanford product was limited to 10 appearances over the past two seasons because of injuries, which creates some additional risk for interested teams.

That said, at the more modest price point—one first-rounder or a few later selections—McCaffrey deserves consideration from Super Bowl contenders.

The 2019 first-team All-Pro selection has played in all six of Carolina's games this season, averaging a healthy 4.6 yards on 85 carries. He's recorded 670 yards from scrimmage and three total touchdowns, and he's earned a strong 83.3 grade from Pro Football Focus.

Putting him in an high-powered offense like the ones run by the Buffalo Bills or Kansas City Chiefs would create seemingly endless potential. The Athletic report also listed the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers as possible landing spots.

For his part, McCaffrey said Sunday he's trying to steer clear of the rumor mill.

"All that stuff's out of my control," he told reporters. "My job is to be the best Carolina Panther I can be and do everything I can for my teammates."

The Panthers have two games left before the trade deadline: Sunday at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and an Oct. 30 road trip to face the Atlanta Falcons.

It's possible one of those contests will mark McCaffrey's final appearance for Carolina, which selected him in the first round of the 2017 draft.

The Carolina Panthers reportedly aren't expected to keep star running back Christian McCaffrey beyond the Nov. 1 NFL trade deadline.

Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post reported Wednesday that Carolina trading McCaffrey before the deadline is a "near certainty."

La Canfora noted that between McCaffrey's injury history and the struggles of the 1-5 Panthers, it might behoove them to move their greatest asset as soon as possible.

ESPN's Adam Schefter was among the first to report last week that the Panthers were officially listening to offers for McCaffrey, although he made it clear that it won't be cheap for interested teams to acquire him.

Schefter noted that the Panthers turned down at least two offers and are asking for "significant" compensation in the form of a first-round pick or multiple draft picks.

The 2022 season has been a miserable one for the Panthers amid the firing of head coach Matt Rhule and struggles from quarterback Baker Mayfield, but McCaffrey has been perhaps the lone bright spot.

After appearing in just 10 games combined during the 2020 and 2021 seasons because of injury, the 26-year-old McCaffrey is seemingly back in form and putting up numbers that rival the best running backs in the game.

Through six games, McCaffrey has rushed 85 times for 393 yards and two touchdowns, plus he has caught 33 passes for 277 yards and a score.

While not quite as dominant, McCaffrey's play has been somewhat reminiscent of his special 2019 season, which saw him finish with over 1,000 rushing and receiving yards. He also led the NFL with 403 touches, 2,392 yards from scrimmage and 19 touchdowns.

In a better offense, it isn't outside the realm of possibility that McCaffrey could get even closer to the player he was that season.

McCaffrey is under contract through 2025 and will make about $12 million in each of the 2023, 2024 and 2025 seasons, which would normally be a nonstarter when it comes to trading for an injury-prone running back.

He has a cap hit of only $1.035 million this season, however, meaning any team that wants him could easily fit him under the cap this season and worry about future ramifications later.

The Panthers have already traded wide receiver Robbie Anderson to the Arizona Cardinals and seem poised to enter what could be a lengthy rebuild. If they truly want to accelerate that rebuild, trading McCaffrey for draft picks would likely help.

Carolina clearly isn't going anywhere this season and may not be playoff contenders for at least a few years to come, meaning there isn't a ton of incentive to keep McCaffrey around.

Trading a former No. 8 overall draft pick and the face of the franchise may not be a popular move among fans, but it is likely best for the future of the Panthers at this point.

It would not appear as though a Christian McCaffrey trade is imminent, though the potential for a possible deal remains.

According to Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports, the Carolina Panthers are in a "listening mode" when it comes to trade talks for the star running back, while the Buffalo Bills are in a "monitoring mode" regarding the situation:

The Bills had reportedly reached out to the Panthers in the offseason about acquiring McCaffrey but were rebuffed in those efforts.

Once the Panthers chose to fire head coach Matt Rhule, teams reportedly began calling about their players to test the waters on whether the team was about to embark on a firesale, with "the Denver Broncos, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams and Bills are among the teams that have shown varying degrees of interest in McCaffrey," per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports.

The NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, however, reported last week that the Panthers hadn't engaged in trade talks to this point:

At 1-5, the Panthers already appear to be out of playoff contention, even in the weak NFC South. There is an argument to be made for collecting draft assets and looking toward the future.

But the Panthers would be eating a fair amount of dead cap to deal McCaffrey, for starters:

They also likely would want a serious draft package in return that at least included a first-round pick, the type of price that many teams might not be willing to part with for a running back who has struggled with injuries in recent seasons.

When he's been on the field, he's one of the most dynamic running and pass-catching threats in the NFL. He's been solid in 2022, registering 393 rushing yards and two scores to go along with 33 catches for 277 yards and another touchdown.

Without doubt, he would make an already dangerous Buffalo offense nearly impossible to defend and offer Josh Allen another dynamic weapon. For now, however, it would appear both sides are taking a patient approach to a potential deal that feels unlikely at this point.

Carolina Panthers star Christian McCaffrey is focusing on what's in front of him as rumors swirl regarding his future with the team.

Following Sunday's 24-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, McCaffrey told reporters all of the trade discourse and machinations are "out of my control."

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Saturday the Panthers "are listening to other teams" about a possible swap involving the 2019 All-Pro.

Carolina waved the white flag for this year when it fired head coach Matt Rhule. Now, many are left wondering to what extent general manager Scott Fitterer is willing to tear down the roster to lay the groundwork for the future.

That factor aside, the front office would be foolish not to at least explore what offers are on the table for McCaffrey. He's a 26-year-old running back who was limited to 10 games across 2020 and 2021. The days of him surpassing 2,000 yards from scrimmage might already be over.

For now, the 2017 first-round pick is looking a little more like his old self. Counting Sunday, he has run for 393 yards and two touchdowns while hauling in 33 receptions for 277 yards and one score.

That might only serve to raise his trade value, though. Fox Sports' Peter Schrager reported Sunday that multiple first-round picks might be the price tag for McCaffrey. If at least one first-rounder is the starting point, then it could discourage some of the most logical suitors.

This may not be a situation where the Panthers are desperate to move on and would accept less than expected to make it happen.

The trade deadline will pass at 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 1. Until then, McCaffrey might be stuck between a rock and a hard place.