Image Credit: (Bob Donnan/USA Today Sports)
Written by: Nicholas Mullick
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-mullick-354076184/
Twitter: @NicholasMullick
With the 2023 NFL Draft class being a rich draft in the Quarterback position there are going to be teams wanting to trade up in order to secure their QB of the future. Well that happened today as the Carolina Panthers have traded up with the Chicago Bears and now hold the 1st Overall Pick. I am a little late on this, but I wanted to take my time by analyzing this transaction and giving my grade to it. The details of the trade are down below.
Chicago Bears Acquire: WR DJ Moore, 2023 1st Round Pick (9th Overall), 2023 2nd Round Pick (61st Overall), 2024 1st Round Pick, 2025 2nd Round Pick Carolina Panthers Acquire: 2023 1st Round Pick (1st Overall)
Chicago Bears Side
This one is simple as It was no longer an if, but when the Chicago Bears would trade the 1st Overall Pick. Especially with how QB heavy this year's draft is with Bryce Young, Will Levis, CJ Stroud, Anthony Richardson, and Hendon Hooker potentially going in the 1st round of the draft. They had to get a premium draft haul and they did their job and it will help with their rebuild.
Carolina Panthers Side
Well Carolina, you did it. You have now secured the 1st Overall Pick in order to acquire your franchise QB. They desperately needed one as they have not had a franchise quarterback since Cam Newton had that shoulder injury and depleted his arm strength. They currently don’t have one on the roster as PJ Walker is a scrub, Sam Darnold is damaged goods and it is such a shame, and it is telling what they think Matt Corral is now even recovering from a Lisfranc injury. They needed to trade up with a ton of teams ahead of them needing a QB. Even if one falls to them Atlanta has the 8th pick and could have stolen one from Carolina if they wanted too.
So they traded a premium haul to get him, which is great that Carolina now has the first overall pick, but quick question, Who the heck is he going to throw too? You just traded the best receiver this franchise has had since Steve Smith. Yes you will have a good quarterback, but you need wide receivers for him to throw the football too.
The one thing that the Panthers making this move tells me is that it shows that GM Scott Fitterer is on the hot seat and had to make a move to fully start their rebuild the right way. The Panthers are getting extremely desperate and they are going to need to find their QB. The question now is who will the Panthers take in this selection? All I know is that it has to be a quarterback.
Grades for Bears/Panthers Trade Chicago Bears: A+ Carolina Panthers A-
I love this trade a lot for the Chicago Bears and again they should send Lovie Smith a nice yearly package for having the Texans beat the Colts in Week 18.They got a ton of draft picks to help with their rebuild and even got their number 1 receiver in DJ Moore. As for Carolina they get to control their destiny and draft their franchise QB that they have been sorely missing since Cam Newton’s 1st tenure with the Panthers. However, getting rid of DJ Moore really hurts the most. Overall though this is a good move for both Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles and Carolina Panthers GM Scott Fitterer.