Panthers building around Bryce Young, Brian Burns with no regrets

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – If you like revisionist history, then the backdrop to Thursday night’s game between the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears at Soldier Field (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video) is made for YOU.

That’s because of the doubts Carolina faces regarding a trade it made with the Bears and a trade it didn’t make with the Los Angeles Rams.

In March, the Panthers traded their 2023 first-round (No. 9) and second-round (61) picks, their 2024 first-round pick (currently No. 2) and wide receiver DJ Moore (their first round of 2018) against the Bears for the No. 1 overall pick so they could draft Alabama quarterback Bryce Young.

And before last season’s trade deadline, they turned down two first-round picks (2024, 2025) from the Rams for outside linebacker Brian Burns.

The fact that Carolina is 1-7, Young has an NFL-worst 29.5 total QBR, and Moore’s 735 receiving yards with the Bears rank sixth in the NFL , make the organization an easy target.

But the Panthers aren’t looking back, even though they haven’t replaced Moore with a true No. 1 receiver to help Young and an offense that ranks 27th at 17.5 points per game, and haven’t traded Burns, who will miss Thursday’s game. with a concussion, would have given them more capital to build their squad.

“He’s a great player, but when you find your quarterback, you have to go all out — and you can’t look back,” coach Frank Reich said of Moore’s inclusion in the deal to get Young. it’s a stinky deal, but you’re taking steps to build a championship franchise, and getting your quarterback is a big deal.

Reich and general manager Scott Fitterer still believe in the plan they developed during their trade with Chicago, even though the current season has not gone as planned, in part due to a series of injuries that have leads 13 players currently on injured reserve.

The plan calls for the Panthers to add Young and Burns in free agency, with a projected cap hit of $42 million, and through the draft with their six remaining picks (their own second round, their own third round, their own fourth round). -rounder, San Francisco fifth round, Tennessee fifth round and Arizona sixth round).

“You know, you’re just looking to build a team, and that starts with your quarterback,” Reich said. “[Young’s] our guy. We have a plan in mind for how we build this team. What are the parts? On offense and defense, there are more valued positions and you try to place your best players in valuable positions.

“We want to stick to this plan. We know it’s going to take time.”

While they feel good at valued positions like quarterback and passer with Young and Burns, they need to fill the legitimate No. 1 wide receiver position, preferably with speed, to play alongside the veteran Adam Thielen and help take Young to another level. .

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (2020 No. 1 pick) greatly improved his sophomore season after adding Ja’Marr Chase (2021 No. 5 pick) to play alongside Tee Higgins. Ditto for Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles after the acquisition of AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith (choice No. 10 in 2021), and for Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills after the acquisition of Stefon Diggs.

The Panthers understand this. They went after Higgins of the Bengals and elite receiver Davante Adams of the Las Vegas Raiders before the trade deadline, according to an NFL front office source with knowledge of the discussions, but neither team was willing to negotiate.

They also made a run at Washington Commanders edge rusher Montez Sweat to pair with Burns, but he was traded to the Bears in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick.

The Panthers still plan to sign Burns to a long-term contract, as the organization remains adamant that the 25-year-old is a rare find and someone who cannot be easily replaced by draft picks.

The fact that five teams — including the Bears, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter — approached Carolina about Burns before this year’s trade deadline shows his value.

According to a source with direct knowledge of the situation, Carolina and Burns were very estranged before negotiations were suspended in September. If a new deal cannot be reached, the team will use the franchise tag during the offseason to secure it.

“He is one of the most dominant passers [in the NFL]”Fitterer said during training camp of Burns, who currently leads the team with five sacks. “The sky’s the limit for him.”

Fitterer’s goal is to add another passer in free agency to play opposite Burns. Among those who could be free agent targets are Jacksonville’s Josh Allen and Minnesota’s Danielle Hunter.

One NFL executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity, understood the decision to pass on the pair of first-round picks and keep Burns.

“Those 1s could be used to help build around the young quarterback, but having a very productive passer like Brian Burns is what every team is looking for,” he said.

And finding elite passers such as Burns, who the Panthers took with the 16th overall pick in 2019, isn’t easy. That’s why the Rams offered so much last season and why five teams approached the Panthers this season, even though it never got serious. And Reich appreciates it.

“I’m really, really happy that Brian Burns is still here,” he said. “He’s elite in every way.”

The same NFL executive also agreed that it was too early to judge Carolina on the decision to draft Young.

“With these young quarterbacks, you have to be patient,” he said. “The overreaction after [eight] games are the easiest thing to do.

The excessive reaction intensified since CJ Stroud, taken No. 2 by the Houston Texans (4-4), had a Rookie of the Year type season with 14 touchdowns for a single interception. And it intensified further on Sunday when Young had two pick-sixes in a loss and Stroud threw for an NFL rookie record 470 yards plus five touchdowns in a win.

Reich never blinked, reminding that the same reasons Carolina traded with Chicago to land the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner haven’t changed.

Revisionist history buffs might argue that Carolina could have had one of the best quarterbacks in this year’s class in USC’s Caleb Williams, North Carolina’s Drake Maye or Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders if it had retained his 2024 first-round pick. Williams, in particular, could be special.

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper suggested Williams would be graded higher than any quarterback in last year’s class.

Once again, Reich does not look back, even if the losses seen by the outside world seem to outweigh the improvements he sees. Although he would have liked to keep Moore, he thinks the long-term value of getting Young will pay off.

“These are really tough decisions,” Reich said. “When you find the quarterback you want, you have to be ready to make that deal.”