The Carolina Panthers Made A Colossal Mess Of The Brian Burns Trade

The Carolina Panthers finally moved their star pass-rusher Brian Burns on the first day of free agency. Their return shocked people. The New York Giants gave up a second-round and fifth-round pick for the 26-year-old edge rusher. There are so many angles to this that show how badly the Panthers made a colossal mess of this situation.

Carolina Panthers Brian Burns Trade Rumors History

This isn’t the first time Brian Burns has been in trade rumors. Part of what makes this trade so disastrous is the reported past offers that were on the table. Before the 2022 trade deadline, the Los Angeles Rams reportedly offered two first-round picks and a second-round pick for Burns. The Carolina Panthers turned down the offer. Last offseason, they had a great opportunity to trade him but ultimately didn’t pull the trigger. It is unclear what the offers were.

I will admit that looking at the Rams deal is a little unfair to the Carolina Panthers. Player value changes. Last year, the Green Bay Packers traded quarterback Aaron Rodgers to the Jets for a pick swap in the first round and a conditional second. If it was 2011, this would have been insane. His value changed. Obviously, this was an extreme example, but the value of Burns was different. This doesn’t mean they got the best deal.

Did The Carolina Panthers Look At Other Trades As Examples?

Let’s take a journey on the recent edge rusher trades. Here is the list of players who were traded and what it took to acquire them.

-Chicago Bears Khalil Mack (2018): Two 1st round picks, 3rd round pick, 6th round pick

-Kansas City Chiefs Frank Clark (2019): 1st round pick, 2nd round pick, 3rd round pick

-Minnesota Vikings Yannick Ngakoue (2020): 2nd round pick, 5th round pick

-Los Angeles Rams Von Miller (2021): 2nd round pick, 3rd round pick

-Los Angeles Chargers Khalil Mack (2022): 2nd round pick, 6th round pick

-Miami Dolphins Bradley Chubb (2022): RB Chase Edmonds, 1st round pick, 4th round pick

-Chicago Bears Montez Sweat (2023): 2nd round pick

-San Francisco 49ers Chase Young (2023): 3rd round pick

When we look at this list, the trade becomes a huge disaster. Brian Burns, who is 26 years old, has the twelfth-most sacks of anyone in the league over the past five years. The Carolina Panthers got the same return as Yannick Ngakoue. While multiple firsts were probably unlikely, the team still could have gotten a good trade without multiple firsts.

Where Do They Go From Here?

The path forward for the Carolina Panthers is rough. Bryce Young had a disastrous rookie season, and it might not get better. The offensive weapons are non-existent. The defense looks much less scary now that Brian Burns is gone. If I am an opponent, who am I game-planning for? There isn’t a player who would worry me as an opponent.

The draft is where the Carolina Panthers will need to improve. While they do not have their first-round pick this year, they likely will have a high pick in 2025. With the money they save by not signing Brian Burns, they can use it to help out other parts of the roster. The Carolina Panthers botched the whole situation. If they don’t start making smarter moves, this could turn into multiple decades of misery for the franchise.