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Carolina Panthers Could Target Pass Rusher Ahead of Trade Deadline
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- Carolina Panthers Could Target Pass Rusher Ahead of Trade Deadline
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The Carolina Panthers enter Week 9 with a 3-4 record and on top of the NFC South Division despite two straight losses. With the NFC South being wide open, the Panthers find themselves in a position to go for it again and get into the playoffs.
But their schedule does get a little tougher starting this week.
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After losses to Tampa Bay and then Green Bay, the Panthers return home and will host the AFC West-leading Denver Broncos . With a tough matchup ahead, the Panthers are going to need to play their A game to pull off the upset. However, this week is also the N FL trade deadline and the Panthers could be a buyer.
Multiple reports have already stated that teams have called Carolina about standout defensive tackle Derrick Brown , but the Panthers aren't willing to trade him and become sellers. Instead, they could look to be buyers at the deadline, and a few players potentially fit what they need.
Looking at Carolina's needs, pass rush has now emerged as a big need. With Jaelan Phillips missing the past few games due to an injury and the team already losing a few other players at the spot, they could look to target someone at that spot.
Ahead of Week 9, ESPN's Mike Kaye wrote on the Panthers' trade deadline situation and listed some targets that are ideal for the Panthers' needs. Among them? New York Jets edge rusher Will McDonald.
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The 27-year-old McDonald has 14 tackles and three sacks in eight games but has started just two. He could look for a bigger role, and Carolina could offer that. With the Jets likely being sellers, it would make sense to offload a player like McDonald and pick up some draft picks. The Jets already have three first-round picks but stacking later picks will help and the potential regime change could be attracted to that.
Kaye mentions how the previous Panthers regime, which Dan Morgan was a part of, was fond of McDonald in the 2023 NFL Draft. The chance to land him now could be intriguing for Morgan. There are some concerns in terms of stopping the run and his consistency as a pass rusher.
Still, I can't imagine it would cost the Panthers much in terms of draft compensation and it would fill a nice need for them.
Carolina will host Denver on Sunday with kickoff set for 1 p.m. ET from Charlotte.
