Carolina Panthers president of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan clearly intends on taking advantage from atop the NFL’s waiver wire.
The team’s 2-15 record from 2023 has awarded them the first crack at each player placed on waivers up through the third week of the regular season. And Morgan, who’s looking to build a fearsome roster, has stated that he’ll be “aggressive” with that positioning.
But what if they’re a little more aggressive, particularly on the trade market over the next few days?
As the league-wide cutdown to initial 53-man rosters continues, players may also depart their teams via trades. If another front office wants to prevent a potential target of theirs from even reaching the waiver wire, they might try to swing a deal—essentially cutting ahead of Carolina.
So if the Panthers want to get ahead of themselves, here are four players Morgan and company could try a trade for:
WR John Metchie III (Houston Texans)
Even after his solid preseason performance, Metchie has seemed like the odd man out in Houston’s receivers room for quite some time. Not only is he looking up the depth chart at the likes of Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins and Tank Dell, but the 2022 second-round pick has also had to battle for a spot against some solid competition in Robert Woods and Noah Brown.
Carolina’s outlook at the wideout position is brighter than it was a year ago. In fact, head coach Dave Canales said the group was a strength of the roster this summer.
But if the Panthers want to continue to make life easier for second-year quarterback Bryce Young, reuniting him with the No. 1 target from his Heisman Trophy-winning campaign at Alabama should certainly help.
EDGE Azeez Ojulari (New York Giants)
The Panthers signed former Minnesota Viking D.J. Wonnum to a two-year, $12.5 million deal this spring in hopes of starting him off the edge. But the 26-year-old is still working back from a torn quad, and has remained on the active/physically unable to perform list throughout the summer.
That’s left Carolina’s defense with a hodgepodge of outside ‘backers behind starter Jadeveon Clowney. As of now, the team’s top complements are K’Lavon Chaisson, DJ Johnson and Eku Leota. Yeah.
Ojulari, who has racked up 16.0 sacks in his three NFL seasons, has become somewhat of an extra for the Giants—especially after their acquisition of some dude named Brian Burns. The 24-year-old not only offers promise to a Panthers roster looking to grow, but also a more experienced pass rusher—at least compared to their current options.
LB Jamin Davis (Washington Commanders)
Davis is a pretty intriguing case. Despite being a productive inside linebacker for the first three years of his pro career, the Commanders and new head coach Dan Quinn have tried the athletic 6-foot-3, 234-pounder on the edge this offseason.
The transition seemed to yield some decent results this preseason—as Davis, per Pro Football Focus, recorded four pressures and a 68.1 pass-rushing grade over 42 attempts. Nonetheless, the 2019 first-round pick is still a cut candidate for the fresh regime.
Perhaps the Panthers may be interested in Davis, either on the outside or in the middle—where they’re currently developing another young and promising Kentucky Wildcat.
CB Caleb Farley (Tennessee Titans)
Like Carolina’s outside linebacker position, the cornerback spot is without a defined No. 2. The favorite to start alongside Jaycee Horn was free-agent signee Dane Jackson, who is expected to miss a handful of weeks after sustaining a “significant” hamstring injury.
Farley, who has appeared in just 12 games since being selected with the 22nd overall pick in 2021, may benefit from a change of scenery. The Maiden, N.C. native and Virginia tech standout had his fifth-year option declined by the Titans, setting him up for free agency in 2025.
At 6-foot-2 and 197 pounds, Farley fits the mold of what Morgan was used to working with during his days in Seattle.
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