5 NFL teams that should trade for David Njoku

There is a void in Charlotte. Technically, there are a lot of voids in Charlotte these days on the Carolina Panthers‘ rebuilding roster. Even though we have faith first-year head coach Matt Rhule will get it right and win big in Carolina, did you see how year one of his two previous rebuilding projects went? The Temple Owls and the Baylor Bears won a combined three games in year one.

The Panthers saw many franchise cornerstones leave the gridiron from last season. Linebacker Luke Kuechly retired after eight hall-of-fame years. Cam Newton was released incredibly late in the process and now plays for the New England Patriots on a dirt cheap deal. But the one that’s really important is perennial Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen now plays for the Seattle Seahawks.

Replacing Olsen as the best tight end on the Panthers roster is Ian Thomas. Though he could be good, he’s really just a guy, maybe the 20th-best tight end in football. Of course, new Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady will force feed him the football with new quarterback Teddy Bridgewater like he did with Joe Burrow to Thaddeus Moss for the LSU Tigers last season.

There are a few reasons why Carolina makes sense for Njoku. One, he’ll have ample opportunity to play for a rebuilding team. Two, there is a major production void in Charlotte now that Olsen plays in the Pacific Northwest. And three, you’re inheriting a quarterback in Bridgewater who had a great rapport with former tight end teammates like Kyle Rudolph and Jared Cook. It’s not a bad spot.