3 Carolina Panthers who should be traded next after dealing Diontae Johnson

The Carolina Panthers have been quite a dumpster fire this season, to put it lightly. Most of the drama that has surrounded their team has to do with their quarterback situation. Bryce Young was the top pick in 2023 NFL Draft. But he's struggled very badly since being drafted, so the Panthers opted to bench him.

But, given the state of the franchise right now, it's time for the Panthers to completely blow it up. The team should be looking ahead to 2025 and 2026 already. Adding as much draft capital as possible should be at the top of their to-do list at this point in the season.

This team has been swallowed by trade rumors. It began with Diontae Johnson as one of the hottest wide receivers on the trade market. Eventually, Johnson was dealt to the Baltimore Ravens where he'll join the reigning MVP Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry on Baltimore's high octane offense.

Beyond Johnson, there are multiple more pieces that the Panthers could look to trade this season. Some of these players have already been mentioned on the trade block.

3 Panthers players who should be traded after the Diontae Johnson deal

3. OL Brady Christensen

Just about every contending team can use offensive line help. Having an offensive line that has a ton of depth is one of the most crucial parts of winning towards the end of the season. When the temperature cools down, teams rely on their line more than normal. With the way that players are getting injured, there's nothing more important than depth, especially up front.

The Panthers have an expiring lineman, Brady Christensen, that could be dealt ahead of the trade deadline this season. Christensen has started at center for the Panthers this year. He's seen time at tackle and guard as well in his professional career.

There are plenty of teams that could look into bringing him in. The Steelers, Bears, Vikings and Ravens would all be perfect fits, whether Christensen comes in and starts or is a depth piece. These teams need to add linemen before the deadline passes or they run the risk of not having enough depth when the playoffs come around.

Christensen wouldn't net the Panthers a huge return, but it would be some additional draft capital over the next few seasons. Keeping an expiring lineman wouldn't make too much sense for the Panthers this year.

2. EDGE Jadeveon Clowney

While looking at the rebuild that's in front of the Panthers, it's obvious to see that it's going to take quite a bit of time to get back to contending. They're not one or two years away from contending. They're not a superstar quarterback away from contending. I don't even think that Tom Brady from his prime could take this team to the Super Bowl.

So the veterans and the expiring contracts should all be shopped this season. One of those veterans is the edge rusher, Jadeveon Clowney.

Clowney, 31, has just one sack this year, though he had 9.5 last year with the Ravens. The 31 year old has played in six games with the Panthers in 2024.

There are a ton of teams that would be willing to make the move for Clowney. Both the Lions and the Ravens could be potential fits, while also providing the veteran edge rusher with the chance to go win a Super Bowl. A move to a contender would make sense for the Panthers as Carolina would be adding to their draft capital. It would also send Clowney to a team that can provide him the opportunity to compete for a Super Bowl.

1. WR Adam Thielen

The most obvious player that the Panthers should explore trading is their other top wide receiver, Adam Thielen.

It seems as though the Panthers are willing to give up on Bryce Young already, so trying to keep his weapons in Carolina just doesn't make much sense. There are a ton of teams in the league that are likely very interested in bringing Thielen to their team. The Panthers should be able to get a mid round pick in exchange for Thielen in the coming days if they're serious about blowing their roster up and rebuilding.

Teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings, Washington Commanders and the Detroit Lions could all make sense for Thielen. They're contending teams that have a hole in their wide receiver room that could be filled with the veteran wideout.

Thielen, 34, has registered eight catches for 109 yards and a touchdown before getting injured and missing the last five weeks. Thielen has now returned to practice in a limited fashion, which is a good sign at this point.

Keeping him in Carolina at this point in his career makes close to no sense for either party. Thielen doesn't have many years of production left and spending one of his last years on one of the worst teams in the league would be a terrible way to go out.