The Carolina Panthers simply weren’t going to gain control of the 2023 NFL draft with just picks. They had to include a proven commodity in their deal with the Chicago Bears, which ultimately landed on wide receiver DJ Moore.
But Moore wasn’t the only player Bears general manager Ryan Poles had his eye on.
On Monday, The Athletic—courtesy of Joe Person, Adam Jahns and Kevin Fishbain—published an inside look into how the Panthers acquired this year’s No. 1 overall pick. Included in the report was Chicago’s interest in a few of Carolina’s other studs—defensive linemen Brian Burns and Derrick Brown.
The report reads:
Poles would later ask about several Panthers players, three of whom best fit some of the Bears’ needs. Neither GM would confirm it, but according to league sources with knowledge of the talks who were granted anonymity to discuss the deal without repercussions, Poles was interested in pass rusher Brian Burns, defensive tackle Derrick Brown and receiver D.J. Moore, all former first-round picks.
Burns and Brown, of course, stayed put—while Moore was shipped off to Chicago with the ninth overall pick, the 61st overall pick, a 2024 first-rounder and a 2025 second-rounder.
After the historic swap was completed, Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer noted why it was Moore—and not Burns nor Brown—who was put in the package.
“There were certain players that we never really wanted to trade,” Fitterer said. “It’s so hard to replace a Derrick Brown or Brian Burns, a pass rusher (and) an interior, dominant young player on a (first) contract. D.J., we didn’t want to move either. But it’s a little bit easier to replace a receiver than it is a pass rusher or a three-tech.”
Moore, who exited Carolina as the fourth-leading pass catcher in franchise history, isn’t just any receiver. So parting with the best offensive skill player they had—and one who was under a team-friendly deal at just 25 years old, no less—couldn’t have been easy either.
But, that’s the price of doing business in today’s NFL—especially when there’s a potential franchise quarterback involved.
