3 Panthers on the Trade Block Heading Into Training Camp

The Carolina Panthers will officially begin training camp with rookies reporting on July 19 and veterans reporting a few days later on July 23. 

After last season’s disaster, the Panthers will hope for better days with new head coach Dave Canales. Canales has the tough task of turning around a Carolina squad that only had two wins and didn’t have an offensive identity.

The first-year head coach also has to do some tough evaluations on a few players. Heading into training camp, fans are watching to see what will unfold at RB and WR. Those two position groups are stockpiled at talent, meaning Carolina might have to cut or trade those players.

Below, we’ll discuss a few players likely sitting on the trade block with training camp on the horizon. If the Panthers decide to move on from these players listed, fans shouldn’t expect a huge return in value.

1. Miles Sanders

The former Philadelphia Eagles running back is coming off a massively disappointing season in his first year with the Panthers. 

Sanders was signed to a lucrative four-year contract last offseason after rushing for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground in his final year with the Eagles (2022). Carolina thought they would get a similar production from Sanders to help rookie quarterback Bryce Young last season.

But that would not be the case as Sanders had his worst season as a professional, rushing for 432 yards and a touchdown on 129 carries. He also averaged 3.3 yards per carry, which shows how bad Sanders and the Panthers’ offensive line was.

With Sanders not bringing any spark to the running game last season, Carolina decided to give Chuba Hubbard more snaps and it paid off. Hubbard had 902 yards and five rushing scores on 238 carries, with a 3.8 yards per carry average.

3.8 yards per carry isn’t game-breaking, but it was better than what Sanders did last season. If the emergence of Hubbard wasn’t bad enough for Sanders, Carolina drafted Jonathon Brooks in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Brooks suffered a torn ACL last November, putting the start of his NFL career on delay. But when healthy, the 6-foot running back has the talent to be the Panthers’ starting running back.

It will be tough for the Panthers to move on from Sanders as he has a $7.69 million cap hit this coming season and has $8.2M and $6.9M cap hits in 2025 and 2026. However, if a team lost their starting running back in training camp, it could open the door for the Panthers to move him.

2. Terrace Marshall Jr.

The former second-round pick requested a trade last season, but Carolina ultimately decided to keep the 24-year-old wide receiver. Marshall Jr. struggled last season like Sanders as he had 19 receptions (33 targets) for 139 yards.

Panthers fans expected Marshall to take another leap in 2023 after a solid 2022 season, where he posted 28 receptions (47 targets) for 490 yards and a touchdown. Remember, the Panthers had multiple starting quarterbacks during that season, making what Marshall did impressive.

However, the Panthers’ offense couldn’t find its footing last season, and the same could be said for the former LSU receiver. Based on the offense’s issues in 2023, Carolina made a concerted effort to upgrade its receiver unit by trading for Diontae Johnson and drafting Xavier Legette in the first round.

With the additions of Johnson and Legette to the offense, it pushes Marshall down to the fourth wide receiver spot with Jonathan Mingo. But one could make the case that Mingo has a better chance of winning that spot since it will only be his second year.

The 6-foot-2 wide receiver has a lot of work ahead to change the narrative about himself, but he’s done a good job thus far in offseason workouts. However, even if Marshall has a strong camp, the Panthers could still trade him before Week 1.

Looking at many teams’ rosters across the league, some don’t have a solid WR3 or WR4, depending on if one of their top receivers were to get hurt. Marshall has a lot of talent, he just needs to put it all together and be consistent.

3. Shaq Thompson

The Panthers could shockingly decide to part ways with Shaq Thompson, especially with rookie linebacker Trevin Wallace waiting in the wings. Wallace had an outstanding final season at the University of Kentucky, en route to being drafted in the third round.

As for Thompson, he’s 30 years old and could become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2024 season. The veteran linebacker only played in two games last season because of a season-ending fractured fibula in Week 2.

The 6-foot linebacker told reporters at last month’s minicamp that the 2024 campaign might be his last in Carolina.

“I love it here,” Thompson said (h/t SM Corder of All Panthers). “I would love to retire here. If I play well, I stay here. If not, I’m out. I understand and know the business. This is my last year, so I’m playing for the Panthers and I’m playing for 31 other teams.”

The Panthers revamped their linebacker unit this offseason with the selection of Wallace in the draft and the free agent signing of Josey Jewell. Jewell and Wallace are two solid upgrades at linebacker with Frankie Luvu leaving for Washington in free agency.

Before last season, Thompson had four straight seasons with 100-plus combined tackles. If he can stay healthy, there’s no reason why the veteran linebacker can’t have a good 2024 season.

Nonetheless, Thompson has a better chance of sticking on the roster due to the unproven depth behind Jewell and Wallace.

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