CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers pounced on a blockbuster trade with the Chicago Bears on Friday, ensuring that the franchise will be able to select its top choice of quarterback in April’s NFL draft.
The Panthers agreed to terms on the trade with the Bears to send the ninth overall pick, the 61st overall pick — a 2023 second-round pick acquired in the Christian McCaffrey trade with the San Francisco 49ers — a 2024 first-round pick, a 2025 second-round pick and wide receiver DJ Moore to Chicago for the first overall selection, a league source confirmed to The Charlotte Observer.
The deal can’t be made official until the start of the new league year on March 15. The Panthers made the aggressive move up the board in order to land one of the top talents at a longtime position of need.
Moore, 25, has been the Panthers’ leading receiver in each of the past four seasons. During his five-year career, Moore has caught 364 passes for 5,201 yards and 21 touchdowns. While he struggled to create regular plays last season amid a quarterback turnstile and a major coaching staff turnover, he did produce a career-high seven receiving touchdowns during the campaign.
Moore was scheduled to have the largest cap number on the Panthers’ roster this season with a $25.04 million charge on the books. Due a base salary of $19.97 million this season, Moore’s departure opens up $10.41 million in cap space while leaving behind $14.62 million in dead money on the salary cap, according to Over The Cap. The Panthers entered the afternoon with $12.34 million in cap space, according to Over The Cap.
With Moore headed to Chicago, the Panthers’ cupboard is nearly empty at wide receiver. While 2021 second-round pick Terrace Marshall Jr. flashed at times last season, he finished with just 28 catches for 490 yards and a touchdown.
Along with Marshall, the Panthers have role-playing wide receivers Shi Smith, Laviska Shenault and Preston Smith under contract. That trio combined for 49 catches for 568 yards and three touchdowns last season. Shenault, a versatile offensive weapon, was also used as a runner, picking up 65 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
The Panthers will have to restock the shelves in free agency and the draft to put pass-catching talent around whoever is selected at quarterback in April. With an influx of salary cap space, they’ll likely look to fill Moore’s void on the open market with one or two replacements.
The Panthers have gone through a turnstile of quarterbacks since releasing former franchise quarterback Cam Newton in 2020. Under former head coach Matt Rhule and interim head coach Steve Wilks, the Panthers started Teddy Bridgewater, PJ Walker, Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield at the position. Newton returned in 2021 for his own brief stint as a starter under Rhule.
Now in possession of the first overall selection, the Panthers will target one of the consensus top-four quarterbacks in the class.
The Panthers spoke with Alabama’s Bryce Young, Kentucky’s Will Levis, Ohio State’s CJ Stroud and Florida‘s Anthony Richardson during the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis earlier this offseason. While Young chose not to participate in field drills, Richardson shined as an athlete and deep-ball thrower, while Stroud and Levis showed off their respective strengths as passers.
With two 2023 picks being sent to Bears, the Panthers are set to have just six picks in April’s selection process.
Panthers’ remaining 2023 picks
— First round (1): 1st overall (from Bears)
— Second round (1): 39th overall
— Third round (1): 93rd overall (from 49ers)
— Fourth round (2): 114th, 132nd (from 49ers) overall
— Fifth round (1): 145th overall
