ClutchPoints
The Carolina Panthers enter the 2025 NFL training camp with optimism and clarity that felt out of reach this time last year. The biggest reason? Quarterback Bryce Young. After a rocky rookie season and a rocky start to his sophomore campaign, Young finally looked like the No. 1 overall pick down the stretch in 2024. As the team slowly builds toward contention, the Panthers must make strategic decisions that prioritize long-term growth over short-term stopgaps. One such decision could come in the form of a trade. The most obvious candidate to be shipped out before Week 1 is a veteran defensive tackle.
Young looked overwhelmed as a rookie and early in his second season. However, a midyear stint on the bench behind veteran Andy Dalton helped reset his trajectory. When he returned, Young thrived in Dave Canales’ offense. He closed 2024 with three straight games posting a 100+ QB rating, seven passing touchdowns, three rushing scores, and no turnovers.
The Panthers didn’t overhaul Young’s supporting cast this offseason. However, they made key additions. Carolina used its first-round pick on wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. He joins 2023 first-rounder Xavier Legette to give Young a pair of young, physically gifted receivers to grow with.
In the backfield, Carolina signed former Cowboy Rico Dowdle. He is coming off a 1,000-yard season. He’ll pair with Chuba Hubbard to stabilize the ground game while 2024 second-round pick Jonathon Brooks recovers from another ACL injury.
Defensively, the Panthers addressed last season’s league-worst unit by adding linemen Tershawn Wharton and Nic Scourton. Sure, those moves should prevent another basement finish in points and yards allowed. However, this is still generally a roster in transition.
A playoff push in 2025 remains unlikely. That said, if Young continues his surge and builds chemistry with his young receivers, Carolina could exit this year feeling confident in its long-term direction. The goal for now is development, not a deep postseason run.
Here we’ll try to look at the obvious Carolina Panthers trade candidate entering 2025 NFL training camp.
When the Panthers signed A’Shawn Robinson to a one-year deal in the 2024 offseason, it was seen as a savvy move to shore up the NFL’s worst run defense. On the surface, Robinson delivered. He logged 80 tackles and 5.5 sacks, both career highs. However, surface-level production doesn’t always reflect on-field impact.
Robinson actually graded out poorly at Pro Football Focus, earning a 54.6 overall mark and just 54.1 against the run. These numbers are troubling for a player whose primary job was to stop the run. Instead of being a solution, Robinson became symbolic of Carolina’s defensive issues.
The Panthers responded accordingly. They added Bobby Brown and Wharton in free agency and used a Day 3 draft pick on defensive tackle Cam Jackson. All signs point to a changing of the guard in the interior defensive line room, one that doesn’t include Robinson as a starter. He may not...
