The trading block was reportedly hot for Carolina Panthers outside linebacker Brian Burns last season, even if he wasn’t on it. But is it still sizzling a year later?
ESPN staff writer Bill Barnwell believes so.
Barnwell ventured into some value on Thursday, determining which players on each NFL team would net at least one first-round pick in a trade. And when it comes to Carolina, he thinks their two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher could still net two first-round selections:
Well, we know the Panthers wouldn’t take two first-round picks and more from the Rams for Burns a year ago, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported. Now, a year later, those same first-rounders likely would get a deal done. Burns is a year closer to free agency, and the Panthers have struggled to sign him to a new contract, in part because they implicitly valued him as a player worth more than two first-round picks by turning down the offer from L.A. With Carolina desperate for draft capital after making the Bryce Young trade, a Burns swap could get them valuable playmakers to put around their young quarterback. If they asked the Rams for wideout Puka Nacua, would Los Angeles be willing to include him in the deal?
As Barnwell notes, the Panthers were reported to have already turned down quite the haul for Burns in 2022. The Rams were believed to have offered first-rounders in 2024 and 2025 as well as a second-rounder in 2023 for the young and talented backer.
But hey, Burns is still good and the Rams are still likely looking to bolster their defense. So maybe those same two picks, and perhaps a certain rookie sensation, would entice the Panthers to pull the trigger this time around.
