Diving Deeper Into The Panthers Big Blockbuster Trade
`The Carolina Panthers are trading away D.J. Moore and draft picks to the Chicago Bears for the No. one pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Bears will receive Carolina’s first (Nine), second (61), a first-rounder in 2024, and a second-round pick in 2025.
The move was stunning to the NFL world. The Panthers traded away their best wide receiver, and some will say that the Bears won the trade.
If the Bears were going to make a trade, Moore had to be in the deal. Bears considered D.J. Moore a ‘must have’ in exchange for the No. one pick. The Bears added more to the inclusion, and by involving him in the deal, the Panthers lucked out by not giving up a first-rounder in 2025.
What Moore Brings To The Bears
The 2017 Big Ten Receiver of the Year and first-team all-conference selection brings a lot to the table. Moore is more significant than the Bills’ Stefon Diggs, but their playing styles are similar. However, Moore doesn’t have height and length to his frame, but he can get open.
Moore has quick feet and boosters to accelerate on top of cornerbacks. He is also a dangerous run-and-catch option on bubble screens and hitches. Moore is so fast that defenses can lose him. His size and speed are perfect.
However, Moore glides instead of bursting out of routes. If he improves his course running, he will improve tremendously as a player. Also, Moore could have better hands. Sometimes he’s butterfingers when it comes to catching the ball.
Chicago got some Moore.@idjmoore | @ChicagoBears pic.twitter.com/bJLWMA0IvE — NFL (@NFL) March 10, 2023
Moreover, DJ Moore is an overall great receiver, and the Bears needed a player of his caliber to help out Justin Fields, QB. In his last four seasons, the former Panthers player has 4,413 receiving yards, which ranks seventh among all NFL receivers. Moore put together three straight 1,100-yard seasons (2019-2021) and caught at least 55 passes each year.
The only downfall to his tremendous production for the Panthers, his touchdowns were significantly low (Four) in each of those seasons. In last year’s campaign, Moore was the WR12 previous year in touchdowns (Seven).
Now, Moore is moving on with the Bears and has Justin Fields as his quarterback. The pair should be solid as Moore seeks another 1,100-yard season but with multiple touchdowns.
What Are The Panthers Seeking?
The Panthers QB woes are unhinged. Watching them struggle in the Matt Rhule Era of Doom has been daunting, but we’ve seen glimpses of what the offense offers under the Former Interim Head Coach, Steve Wilks.
However, next year, the Panthers will have a new coach, Frank Reich, and a new offense. Unfortunately, the Panthers’ current WRs aren’t the strongest of the present wide-receiving corps.
Frank Reich specializes in being an offense guru. His specialty is in quarterbacks. The QBs that can go No. one overall are CJ Stroud (Ohio State), Bryce Young (Alabama), and Anthony Richards (Florida), who the Panthers loved.
Now that the Panthers are in a prime position to find a franchise quarterback, there’s no telling what direction Reich would want to go, but he can’t spoil the surprise. He has until April to make a decision.
Stroud vs. Young vs. Richards
Rumor has it that Stroud is the favorite to be the Panthers’ No. one overall pick in the draft, per Bleacher Report. In Stroud’s final year of college, he finished 13th in yards (3,688) and second in touchdowns (41) with just six interceptions. He was also second in QBR (88.9). Stroud was a Heisman Trophy finalist in both 2021 and 2022.
The concern of drafting Stroud is condensed pockets. He’s a pocket-passer that many compare to Kirk Cousins or Jared Goff. But the kid has a cannon.
Unlike Stroud, Bryce Young, also one of the favorites to attend the Panthers, won the Heisman Trophy (2021). In 2021, Young broke an Alabama record by being first in Alabama’s single-season passing yards (4,872). He was also first in passing touchdowns (47) and first in Alabama’s career five-touchdown games (5).
The main concern about drafting Bryce first is his size. He’s 6’0 and considered small for a QB, but he’s a scrambler comparing him to Russell Wilson or Lamar Jackson. He can accelerate down the field. Young’s decision-making is also a flaw in his game. When the pocket collapses, he hesitates.
Anthony Richardson, the dark horse out of the three QBs, also has a strong chance of being drafted first. Richardson is the biggest out of the three, and he’s being drafted first by numerous mock drafts.
Just like the others, Anthony has some cons as well. He could be more polished like the others, but he lacks in that. However, his strength is when he scrambles out of the pocket, he’s big like Former Panthers players Cam Newton or Josh Allen Bills, which makes him a physical runner who can dish punishment.
Either of the quarterbacks could go No. one overall. The Panthers have struggled at the quarterback position with Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Darnold, PJ Walker, Baker Mayfield, and Will Grier. Frank Reich and they have some decision-making to do as they try to find their next franchise QB.
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