Panthers Star Must Be Traded This Offseason

Despite finishing the season 5-12, the Carolina Panthers are entering the offseason with a ton of hope and optimism. Compared to a lot of the teams that missed the playoffs, things are stable in Carolina as GM Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales earned themselves a second season in charge.

There is still a ton of work to do in terms of roster building. Even though the Panthers improved significantly from a year prior, they are nowhere near being a competitive playoff team. Therefore, they need to nail their offseason decisions to take another step forward for next season and beyond.

One of those decisions involves veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen. Thielen is under contract with the Panthers for another season but parting ways with the former Pro Bowler might make sense for both sides.

Adam Thielen is the Perfect Panthers Trade Candidate

In the 2023 offseason, Thielen signed a three-year, $25 million deal with the Panthers. In his first season in Carolina, he had the third 1,000+ season of his career. He ended up missing seven games last season but was still highly productive, putting up 48 catches, 615 yards, and five touchdowns in ten starts.

Despite turning 35 before next season, Thielen showed that he could still be an impactful receiver at this stage of his career. Yet, the Panthers need to have a future-focused outlook when making this decision. They have to prioritize players who will be a part of the next great Panthers team and Thielen certainly doesn't fit that mold.

The Panthers have two promising young receivers, Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker. They will likely bring in another rookie in this year's draft. Giving these prospects as big of a role as they can handle should be an organizational priority.

This makes Thielen an ideal trade candidate. The former Vikings star can likely bring in a Day 3 pick for the Panthers and save them some money. Thielen has a cap hit of $8.4 million for next season, which could be used elsewhere after trading him to a Super Bowl contender.

Thielen hinted at the possibility of retirement after the conclusion of the season. While that remains an option for him, if he were to return for another season, it would benefit both the Panthers and Thielen if it was for someone else.

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