Giants trade with Panthers for edge-rusher Brian Burns, who gets massive new contract

With Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Dexter Lawrence, the Giants now present impossible problems for opposing offensive lines.

16 months ago, the Los Angeles Rams offered two first-round picks (2024, 2025) and a second-round pick (2023) to the Carolina Panthers for the services of edge-rusher Brian Burns, and the Panthers turned the Rams down.

Now, the Panthers have traded Burns to the New York Giants for second- and fifth-round picks, and they’re off the hook for Burns’ new contract. That’s up to the Giants, who — per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network — will give Burns a new five-year deal worth up to $150 million with $87.5 million guaranteed.

As they say, timing is everything.

For the Panthers, it’s just more picks and more cap space free for new general manager Dan Morgan as the franchise keeps up the rebuilding process. For the Giants, it’s the opportunity to put Burns on the other side of edge-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, with nose tackle super-destroyer Dexter Lawrence in the middle. Which isn’t bad at all.

Last season, Burns had nine sacks and 40 total pressures, which was actually a bit of a down year for him — the 2019 16th overall pick out of Florida State had 13 sacks and 68 pressures in a career-best 2022 season. But Burns still has that ferocious acceleration to the quarterback, he can put speed-to-power moves together quite estimably, and he has a full array of techniques to get to the quarterback.

Given Burns’ relative limitations in the run game, this might be a bit of an overpay, but if it all works out, the Giants have created an impossible question to answer: Who on that defensive line do you double-team?

Panthers make major move for ex-Dolphins guard (and #THICCSIX star) Robert Hunt

Robert Hunt goes to the Panthers as a top-tier guard, and a sneaky red-zone #THICCSIX weapon. What’s not to like?

The Carolina Panthers are all too aware that they need to surround second-year quarterback Bryce Young with as much talent as possible, and the team took a big step forward in that regard on Monday by agreeing to terms with former Miami Dolphins offensive guard Robert Hunt on a massive deal.

Over four seasons with the Miami Dolphins, Hunt has allowed a total of nine sacks and 61 total pressures, with one sack and five total pressures allowed in 376 pass-blocking snaps. The Dolphins have one of the NFL’s most complex and multi-faceted run game, and Hunt was a bastion of consistency on a line that was a bit all over the place. Which is what Hunt will try and solve in his new home.

Moreover, Hunt adds a potential red zone target for Young — you can read more about this particular play here.

Dolphins guard Robert Hunt cheated out of greatest Big Man Touchdown ever

Dave Canales is the perfect hire for Bryce Young if David Tepper can be patient

Dave Canales looks like the right man for the job if owner David Tepper can keep his interference to a minimum.

It’s not exactly a secret that the Carolina Panthers have one of the most trigger-happy owners in all of sports in David Tepper, who of late has given a short leash to just about everyone associated with the franchise. Following a disastrously bad last two seasons, Carolina has essentially gone through four coaches in just that short span. Now with the hiring of the young offensive coordinator for Tampa Bay in Dave Canales, Tepper must learn to exercise patience with both his young quarterback and new head coach.

Canales was one of the top young offensive minds available going into this coaching cycle and thought it was a bit of a surprise hire, it was certainly the right one. When looking to establish an identity, one which Carolina lacks, snagging a young and motivated guy like Canales makes perfect sense. With a track record that includes a Russell Wilson dream season and rebirths for both quarterbacks Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield, Canales has proven to be able to come in and provide quarterbacks with an opportunity to succeed within this Shanahan style offense. The number one urgency of this franchise is surrounding quarterback Bryce Young with talent on the offensive line and with more weapons than what is currently rostered, on top of getting Young to discontinue his up and down play that we saw last season.

This is not going to be an overnight fix by any means, this team is severely lacking in depth on both sides of the ball and do not possess a first round pick until 2025 after trading this years away for their current quarterback. Canales and new general manager Dan Morgan are going to need to follow a tight path in order to strengthen the depth along the offensive line and defense as well as address the woeful group of weapons surrounding Young.

Barring a miracle by Canales his is going to be at minimum a two year project before we really start to see the fruits of the upcoming labor that will define this new duo. Tepper will be wells served to go hands off, resisting his past behaviors of forcing players onto the roster and cutting loose coaches at the drop of the hat. The less interference by an owner has been historically successful, and allowing these two talented and seasoned men in Canales and Morgen build to the best of their ability is going to be key in snapping the nightmare that has been the Tepper regime so far.

Panthers choosing Bucs OC Dave Canales as their head coach

The Panthers are zeroing in on Bucs OC Dave Canales as their next head coach

Dave Canales fixed Baker Mayfield and Tampa Bay in 2023. His next task is far more monumental.

Canales is on the verge of leaving the Buccaneers for another NFC South team. The Carolina Panthers are ready to hire the offensive coordinator as their head coach.

In Carolina, Canales would step into a job with the worst team in the NFL. The Panthers were 2-15 in 2023 and do not have the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

That is because they dealt their first pick in 2024 to the Chicago Bears so they could draft Bryce Young as the first pick in 2023.

The results were awful and Canales has a big, big job in front of him. The only positive is the division is weak.

The perfect head coaching candidates for each vacancy

The perfect head coaching candidate for every current vacancy around the NFL.

There have been a plethora of teams around the NFL that decided to move on from their now former head coaches. From the totally expected to the outright shocking, there are currently eight head coaching vacancies around the NFL- each one with a candidate that could help turn their tides.

Side note: I don’t think Bill Belichick or Mike Vrabel take any current vacancy.

2024 NFL Mock Draft: End-of-season quarterback decisions lead to surprising picks

How many NFL teams will stick with their current quarterbacks? A high number could make for an interesting first round of the 2024 draft.

Now that the 2023 NFL regular season is over, every team turns its attention to the draft — even those teams that are part of the postseason. Area scouts will start to move to the home facility to interact with scouting directors and general managers, and with the scouting combine less than two months away, it’s time to start putting your big boards together.

This applies especially to those teams with crucial quarterback decisions to make. For the purposes of this mock draft, we’ll assume that the Chicago Bears are sticking with Justin Fields, the Arizona Cardinals are committed to Kyler Murray, the Tennessee Titans think they have a future franchise quarterback in Will Levis, and the New York Jets think that eventually, Aaron Rodgers will stop shooting his mouth off long enough to play quarterback in 2024.

Conversely, the Washington Commanders, New England Patriots, New York Giants, and Atlanta Falcons will avail themselves of the best draftable quarterbacks possible in the interest of turning things around.

So, four quarterbacks go in the first round here, with more teams looking to build around the guys they’ve already got. That makes for one notable omission (Oregon’s Bo Nix), and a whole bunch of talented prospects at other positions pushing themselves up the boards.

Panthers owner David Tepper fined 300K for unacceptable behavior

Panthers owner David Tepper was zapped with a 300K fine by the NFL

That was one expensive drink Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper threw at a fan Sunday in Jacksonville.

The NFL fined the owner of the team with the worst record in the league $300,000 for throwing the drink,

Tepper offered a statement for his behavior.

“I am deeply passionate about this team and regret my behavior on Sunday,” Tepper’s statement read. “I should have let NFL stadium security handle any issues that arose. I respect the NFL’s code of conduct and accept the League’s discipline for my behavior.”

In addition to being shut out by the Jaguars, Week 17 was the game that saw the Panthers clinch what turned out to be the first pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

The pick they traded to the Chicago Bears last year for their first pick in the 2023 draft, which Carolina turned into Alabama QB Bryce Young.

4-Down Territory: Lamar MVP, Brad Allen needs to go, Eagles or Chiefs, Worst of the Week

In this week’s “4-Down Territory,” Doug Farrar and Kyle Madson discuss Lamar Jackson, Brad Allen, Eagles or Chiefs, and the Worst of the Week.

With 17 weeks of actual football in the books for the 2023 NFL season, it’s time once again for Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire, and Kyle Madson of Niners Wire, to come to the table with their own unique brand of analysis in “4-Down Territory.”

This week, the guys have some serious questions to answer:

  1. Can anybody but Lamar Jackson be the NFL Most Valuable Player right now?
  2. It is time for the NFL to fire referee Brad Allen and his entire crew?
  3. If you had to take one of last year’s two Super Bowl teams — the Chiefs or the Eagles — which one would you be stuck with?
  4. And what was your Worst of the Week (non-officiating version)?

You can watch this week’s “4-Down Territory” right here:

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You can also listen and subscribe to the “4-Down Territory” podcast on Spotify…

…and on Apple Podcasts.

Panthers owner David Tepper throws drink at Jaguars fans as his team gets embarrassed

Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper was caught on video throwing his drink at Jacksonville Jaguars fans during an embarrassing loss.

Now that Daniel Snyder is mercifully no longer a part of the NFL, there has to be a most capricious and mercurial team owner in the league. Right now, that title would seem to go to Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper, who was not at all happy with the result of Sunday’s game. The Panthers were dragged by the Jacksonville Jaguars 26-0, the Chicago Bears chinched the No. 1 pick which the Panthers traded away for the right to select quarterback Bryce Young, and Young finished his Sunday with 19 completions in 32 attempts for 110 yards, no touchdowns, one interception, and a passer rating of 53.1.

Not that it’s all Young’s fault — the Panthers are a personnel disaster from start to finish, and somebody’s going to have to start fixing that in the offseason. But Tepper, who has fired three different coaches in-season during his five-year reign as owner, seems to be a tough guy to work for, based on some in the league who would know.

At one point in the Jaguars game, there’s video evidence of Tepper throwing his drink at Jaguars fans.

If that’s how Tepper acts in public, imagine how he is in private meetings.

Ex-Panther RB Mike Tolbert breaks drum while firing up fans

Mike Tolbert tried to fire up Panthers fans but his swing broke the drum

This sums up the Carolina Panthers season.

Former Panthers RB had the assignment to pound the drum to fire up whoever showed up for the game against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

Tolbert swung and did some damage, breaking the drum. He swung again and the damage continued.

Predictably, the drumbeat of the losing season continued in Carolina.