Before the Carolina Panthers overtook the pole position of the 2023 NFL draft, they were settling as the runner-up. But someone got themselves a flat along the way.
According to FOX Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer, the Chicago Bears nearly pulled off a double trade with this year’s first overall pick. The coup would’ve seen the Bears step down from No. 1 to No. 2 with the Houston Texans, then from No. 2 to No. 9 with the Panthers.
A report from Darin Gantt of Panthers.com published shortly after Glazer’s tweet confirmed the activity, giving a beautifully detailed account of how the blitz atop the board materialized for Carolina. Gantt writes:
And after a solid week of working the phones, it appeared that Poles had made a pair of deals. The Bears were going to flip the first pick to the Texans for a significant haul which included a starting offensive player, and then were then going to send the second pick to the Panthers for another stockpile of help for the entire organization. The initial talks were centered on picks, but with enough other teams in the running, it became clear the Panthers were going to have to sweeten the deal. The Bears asked about three particular players — Brian Burns, Derrick Brown, and DJ Moore — none of which the Panthers wanted to send. But if you want to make big omelets, you have to break big eggs. Eventually, the Panthers relented on the addition of Moore to the pot.
Carolina ended up sending Chicago Moore, the ninth overall pick, the 61st overall pick, a 2024 first-rounder and a 2025 second-rounder. The Panthers are now expected to use that No. 1 pick on University of Alabama quarterback Bryce Young later tonight.
And as for the timid Texans, who reportedly also favored Young atop the board, who knows?
