The Panthers made no trades at the deadline and didn’t need to for playoff contention
The NFL trade deadline came and went with the Panthers not making any moves.
Carolina did sign a quarterback. Not Deshaun Watson, who Houston kept, but former San Jose State and Rams quarterback Josh Love. Pending his physical, he’ll join the practice squad according to a league source.
The Panthers were not buyers or sellers. Instead, general manager Scott Fitterer and coach Matt Rhule decided to stand pat with their current roster. Remember, this team already made several important trades weeks prior to the deadline.
Imagine had Fitterer waited to trade for CJ Henderson and Stephon Gilmore until 4 p.m. Tuesday. His reputation of being in on every deal would’ve evolved into a “King of Trades” Twitter movement.
Fitterer instead made waves earlier by steadily adding key pieces to the Panthers’ defense during the season. Keep in mind that Gilmore and Henderson haven’t played together yet. Henderson was out with a shoulder injury Sunday while Gilmore made his Panthers debut in Atlanta.
As Carolina grows healthier, a more complete team will take shape. Shaq Thompson and Gilmore both intercepting Matt Ryan on Sunday were a sign of that. More reinforcements are coming. Safeties Juston Burris and Myles Hartsfield are expected back soon; Burris was designated to return from injured reserve last week. He and Hartsfield last week practiced last Wednesday and both are expected to progress toward the potential of playing this week against New England.
In addition, Wednesday’s practice should feature running back Christian McCaffrey. Him playing or not depends on how his hamstring responds during individual and team drills. Rhule said if he doesn’t play this week, then Week 10 at Arizona will be the target.
Meanwhile, quarterback Sam Darnold remains in the concussion protocol. The Panthers will update his status following Wednesday’s practice. If he cannot go, then Rhule said backup PJ Walker would start against the Patriots. There must be some internal optimism surrounding Darnold considering the Panthers didn’t make any aggressive quarterback moves.
Carolina did not add any offensive or defensive linemen. Offensive linemen are difficult to acquire because teams are reluctant to trade depth for fear of potential injuries. Which makes sense. The Panthers have started six different offensive line combinations over eight games largely because of health. However, this unit should gain confidence going forward after the Panthers rushed for more than 200 yards and didn’t allow a sack against Atlanta.
All that leads to Panthers fans waiting for this roster to finally materialize. McCaffrey, Darnold, Henderson, Gilmore, and Thompson haven’t played a game together yet. That core could keep Carolina relevant in the playoff picture.
Fitterer has made 13 trades since becoming the Panthers’ GM. His first NFL trade deadline was quiet because his moves already happened. Regardless of how this season ends, Carolina likely revisits adding Watson once the NFL Draft nears.
Until then, these are your 2021 Panthers. A defensive-led, run-first team that will soon return several key players from injury.
This story was originally published November 2, 2021 at 5:35 PM.
