Twitter wants trade for Panthers WR D.J. Moore originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
It’s officially a new era in Carolina.
A 1-4 start prompted the Panthers to become the first team to fire their head coach during the 2022 NFL season, cutting ties with Matt Rhule on Oct. 10. Following yet another loss in Week 6, the franchise took its overhaul to the next level.
Carolina traded Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers Thursday night in exchange for four draft picks. The star running back had been with the Panthers since being selected eighth overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. McCaffrey was a rare bright spot for the franchise this season, picking up 670 total yards through the first six games.
While San Francisco gets an elite new weapon on offense, Carolina’s unit just got infinitely worse. The team ranked last in the league with 260 yards per game, offloaded two starters in McCaffrey and Robbie Anderson and was forced to use its third-string quarterback in Week 6.
Somehow, despite all of those factors, the Panthers can actually plummet their offense even further if they are set on collecting future assets.
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D.J. Moore is now far and away the most talented player on Carolina’s offense despite concerning stats this season. Will the Panthers deal another talented skill position player, or is it better for the team to keep him?
Is D.J. Moore getting traded?
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ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that the Panthers view Moore as a “foundational piece” of their roster, signaling that the team would like to keep him.
The Panthers’ stance on Moore hasn’t stopped teams from inquiring about a potential deal, and it definitely hasn’t stopped fans from dreaming about Moore on their favorite teams:
On the Carolina side, some people believe it is in the best interest of the team to keep Moore.
After two years of trading for below-average quarterbacks, the Panthers are in line to select their quarterback of the future. If the season ended right now, the team would own the No. 1 overall pick, giving them their choice of Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud or Will Levis.
Trading away Moore could give the Panthers a more definitive chance of landing a premium 2023 first-rounder, along with more draft ammo from whichever team attempts to acquire him. However, keeping Moore would mean a better foundation for whichever new signal-caller enters the fold.
What is D.J. Moore’s current contract?
Part of what added to the Panthers’ McCaffrey haul was his contract status. The 49ers not only get him for the rest of 2022, but the running back is under team control through 2025, albeit at an expensive price tag for the position.
Moore is in a similar spot. He signed a three-year, $61.884 million extension with Carolina that begins in 2023 and goes through 2025. His $20.628 average annual salary is in the top 10 among wide receivers in the NFL.
What does the Panthers’ WR depth chart look like?
Even with Anderson, the Panthers’ wide receiver group was rather uninspiring.
Moore is the undisputed top receiver, while Anderson was next on the list. Neither player was the No. 1 pass catcher in the Panthers’ offense, though, as McCaffrey led the team with 33 receptions and 277 receiving yards.
Shi Smith, Laviska Shenault Jr. and Terrace Marshall Jr. are next up on the team’s wide receiver depth chart. The three players have combined for 14 catches, 225 receiving yards and a single touchdown this year.
