The Carolina Panthers are quickly learning a valuable lesson this season. It’s never smart to develop a young quarterback without a life raft. In this case, we’re talking about Bryce Young — Carolina’s hopeful talisman signal-caller and the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s draft.
Through four games, Young has looked lost in an impossible situation. In three starts (he missed one due to injury), Young’s composite expected points added (EPA) and completion percentage over expected (CPOE) are 25th in the NFL. He is just barely eclipsing 2023 Justin Fields and Daniel Jones in this metric — some of the last quarterback company anyone should want to keep. If that weren’t enough, Young is averaging a paltry 4.9 yards per pass attempt, has just 503 yards passing, and has been sacked 11 times (!).
The rub is, I’m not even sure it’s his fault.
After trading away D.J. Moore to the Chicago Bears for last spring’s top pick, the Panthers should’ve known Young wouldn’t have a lot of help at the jump. (Never mind that they also traded away their 2024 first-round selection, which could’ve been used on a receiver like Ohio State’s “generational” Marvin Harrison Jr.) A skill group led by a kinda-but-not-really revitalized Adam Thielen is uninspiring and can’t nearly create enough consistent separation. An offensive line led by former top-six pick Ikem Ekwonu has been disappointing, to be kind. To be mean and accurate, Carolina currently employs five toll booth turnstiles hanging their quarterback out to dry every Sunday.
No quarterback could logically thrive in this kind of situation. That goes tenfold for a player like Young adjusting to and learning the speed and complexity of the professional game. How are you supposed to develop good habits if everything crumbles around you on a whim? It’s still early, but it’s becoming apparent that Carolina may already have stunted the person who was supposed to elevate their franchise.
But it’s not too late to reverse course. It looks like the Panthers may have recognized their grave mistake in Young’s early development.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Carolina and general manager Scott Fitterer are actively looking for a starting wide receiver in a trade. If the Panthers can add even one genuine playmaker for Young, it might suffice to keep him above water and help him progress. At this rate, pulling out all the stops to try and ensure Young reaches his potential isn’t the worst idea.
With that in mind, let’s break down a few receivers who could be on the trade block in the coming weeks. The deadline is a spooky October 31. The Panthers have all the time in the world to evaluate whether they want to take a swing at anyone on this list.
11
Chase Claypool, Chicago Bears
What? Oh, you thought I was serious? Hahahaha. If the Panthers wanted to stunt Young’s development further, I can think of no one better than Claypool — a diva malcontent who thinks he’s a superstar receiver but is the NFL’s quintessential workout warrior. None of that listed 6-foot-4, 238-pound physique translates to the field except in feeding Claypool’s overinflated ego. Any team that wants help for its young quarterback would be wise to treat Claypool like he’s radioactive.
Trade compensation: Oh, you fell for it again? Once again, I’m kidding!
10
Hunter Renfrow, Las Vegas Raiders
Once a premier slot receiver, Renfrow has languished in Josh McDaniels’ Raiders offense over the last two seasons. After catching just 36 passes (on 50 targets) for 330 yards last year, Renfrow is scraping the bottom of the barrel with five catches (on seven targets) for 52 yards through four games this season. Whatever prominent role Renfrow once had with Las Vegas, it’s abundantly clear he’s taken a backseat in an already lifeless offense.
Renfrow’s not the best option who could theoretically come available in the coming weeks, but he’ll probably be the cheapest. That prospect alone makes him attractive to a Panthers team without its first-round draft pick this year.
Trade compensation: (2024) Sixth-round pick
9
Rondale Moore, Arizona Cardinals
Another player with little to no role in their offense, Moore is an explosive talent the Cardinals don’t seem interested in utilizing. Moore was supposed to be the complementary talent to Marquise “Hollywood” Brown but has instead been usurped by rookie Michael Wilson — never a good sign for one’s future with a team.
With a listed 5-foot-7, 181-pound stature, Moore is a bit diminutive to be an every-down WR1. But he can be flat-out electric with the ball in his hands — he just has to see it more often.
Trade compensation: (2024) Sixth-round pick
8
Van Jefferson, Los Angeles Rams
Once a promising second-round pick, the rise of Puka Nacua has negated Jefferson’s career with Los Angeles. It’s never a good sign when, in the early-season absence of Cooper Kupp, Jefferson still hasn’t produced much on the field (eight receptions, 108 yards).
Buying Jefferson now is a thought of giving him a chance at a second act. As a classic route-runner with solid size (6-foot-1, 200 pounds), he has all the tools to be a difference-making target. We saw it in 2021 when he caught 50 passes for over 800 yards. He just might need a healthy change of scenery to do it.
Trade compensation: (2024) Sixth-round pick
7
K.J. Osborn, Minnesota Vikings
I think you can start to sense a theme here. Once a solid running mate for Justin Jefferson, the Vikings are clearly intent on grooming young speedster Jordan Addison to take Osborn’s job — one he had held for two seasons prior to 2023. And with the Vikings as a team currently mired at 1-3, they would be wise to see what they can recoup from Osborn in a trade, a consistently reliable if unremarkable receiver. Because, in the last year of his contract, I doubt they’ll extend him past this season anyway.
At the very least, Osborn can get open — something most of the Panthers receivers aren’t capable of doing.
Trade compensation: (2024) Fifth-round pick
6
Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos
Sutton is Schrodinger’s receiver. Is he the player who once caught over 1,100 yards and six touchdowns in a 2019 Pro Bowl campaign where Drew Lock was his primary quarterback? Or is he the guy coasting off that campaign and undeserved reputation as a clear WR2 (or even WR3)?
With Russell Wilson playing like a semi-washed-up quarterback, I don’t know that we’ll see a definitive answer to this question in Denver. If the atrocious Broncos are rational, they’ll see what they can get for Sutton on the trade block. I’m confident Bryce Young would make a concerted effort to get Sutton involved in the Carolina offense. At the very least, his passes would reach Sutton’s general vicinity more often.
Trade compensation: (2024) Fourth-round pick
5
Darnell Mooney, Chicago Bears
Do not let Chicago’s raging dumpster fire make you frown upon Mooney and what he brings to the table. He is unequivocally one of the NFL’s more delightful (and incredibly underrated) playmakers.
The issue with Mooney is that he is in a contract year where the Bears are actively evaluating whether he fits their long-term future. Because he’s mired in one of the league’s worst passing offenses, Mooney has just eight catches for 108 yards and one touchdown. Mind you, this was a player who once caught over 1,000 yards with separate stints of Andy Dalton and Fields as his quarterback. If he can play in a functional offense that knows how to utilize a dropback passing game, Mooney can flourish in a speedy, downfield slot role. That won’t happen with the current iteration of Chicago.
If the Bears know what’s good for them, they’ll trade Mooney away for far cheaper assets that can help the team in the long run.
Trade compensation: (2024) Fourth-round pick
4
Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos
Jeudy is a receiver of unfound potential. Once considered a blue-chip, first-round prospect, inconsistent hands and a limited route tree have limited Jeudy’s production in Denver. Throw in the general flaws of late-stage Russell Wilson, and you have a receiver who probably won’t blossom into a star until he changes his uniform color. (If he ever does.)
All that to say: Jeudy deserves better than 11 catches and 17 targets (hmm, gross) for 158 yards in four games on one of the league’s worst teams with no future. He should be on the Panthers, one of the league’s worst teams that might have a future.
Trade compensation: (2024) Fourth-round pick
3
Marquise Brown, Arizona Cardinals
Ahhh. We’re reaching the cream of the crop.
Do I think the Cardinals, in a lean year, will trade Brown, a proven elite playmaker? Probably not. Should it be out of the question entirely? You tell me. I mean, it’s not as if Arizona has two potential top-five picks in April’s draft (thanks to a trade with the Houston Texans) and could, theoretically, get another receiver for Kyler Murray. No, wait, they do!
It’s a testament to Brown’s ability that the Cardinals probably wouldn’t even be selling low on his services. His quarterback is Arizona’s backup, Josh Dobbs, and Brown still has 21 catches for 239 yards and two touchdowns. He’s a special downfield playmaker who has proven that an offense can run through him (both in Arizona and his previous team, the Baltimore Ravens).
Should a desperate team like the Panthers come calling for Brown, I find it hard to believe Arizona would hang up the phone.
Trade compensation: (2024) Second-round pick
2
Davante Adams, Las Vegas Raiders
Let’s state the obvious. Davante Adams is a bona fide future Hall of Famer who can get open and destroy defenses no matter who his quarterback is. Even in his 30s, he remains in the conversation for the best playmaker in football. He’s also not going to fade away any time soon. His unique game of savvy speed and route running should translate to a very fruitful second act, unlike most other receivers his age.
So, why on Earth would the abysmal Raiders — who have no chance of winning anything meaningful this season — hold onto him when their starting quarterbacks are Jimmy Garoppolo and Aidan O’Connell? It makes no logical sense. You have a top-tier playmaker still humbling defensive backs on a weekly basis being wasted on a team that really, really needs a full-scale rebuild. Plus, the whole point of bringing Adams to Las Vegas in a 2022 blockbuster trade in the first place was that he’d get to play with college friend Derek Carr. Well, Carr no longer wears silver and black, and the Raiders are 1-3 and spiraling fast.
So, I ask again in a different way: What is Adams still doing in Las Vegas???
I know owner Mark Davis probably isn’t happy at the prospect of trading away a guy the Raiders already surrendered two first-round picks for. But heaven knows it’s what’s best for the team. Las Vegas isn’t going anywhere, and a contender will jump at the opportunity to trade a war chest for Adams if he becomes available.
Trade compensation: (2025) First-round pick, (2024) third-round pick
1
Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals
Higgins’ situation will depend on how the Bengals rebound from a tough 1-3 start. This was a team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations that is being sunk by Joe Burrow’s unfortunate calf injury. Now, with upcoming games against the plucky Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, and San Francisco 49ers, there’s a very real possibility Cincinnati is nowhere close to .500 before the Halloween trade deadline.
In that worst-case (but feasible) scenario, the Bengals should be shopping Higgins. There’s no need to push Burrow in a potentially lost year after signing him to a historic contract extension. You’ve got one of the league’s best quarterbacks locked down for the foreseeable future. At a certain point, someone’s gotta wave the white flag and look ahead to 2024 and beyond. Higgins is in the last year of his contract, and thanks to Burrow’s deal, Cincinnati has just over $12 million in cap space. Mind you, it hasn’t even paid Ja’Marr Chase — Higgins’ superior and more explosive running mate. I know who I’m picking if I’m forced to choose between the duo.
If we’re being frank, I’d be surprised if Higgins didn’t head to a legitimate contender at the deadline. But I wouldn’t be shocked to see Carolina push all its chips in for Higgins. He is the exact kind of young playmaker that would be perfect to pair with Bryce Young for the long haul. He’ll just be very expensive, almost exorbitantly so.
Trade compensation: (2025) First-round pick, (2024) second-round pick, (2024) third-round pick
