The Carolina Panthers have one area of clear surplus that they could trade away from before the NFL's Nov. 4 deadline.
It's just something that Panthers fans might not want to see.
The Panthers have more running back talent than they need, particularly for a team that isn't necessarily contending right now.
Chuba Hubbard has been the guy, the one signed to the long-term extension. And one-year signee Rico Dowdle has been a star this season.
ESPN's Bill Barnwell writes that the Panthers may have no choice but to trade Dowdle, if trading a back is a move they want to consider.
Carolina's eggs are in the Hubbard basket financially, and Dowdle's contract would be easier for another team to absorb.
"Dowdle has been the more productive RB in recent weeks, and coach Dave Canales signaled that he was expecting to lean more toward him going forward," Barnwell writes. "But the franchise also gave Hubbard a contract extension last season and signed Dowdle for only one year. Trading Dowdle to a contender like the Chargers or Chiefs would probably be the right long-term decision, even if it wouldn't be easy to sell to the fan base right now."
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The Chiefs certainly wouldn't mind ending up with a RB who just a few weeks ago had consecutive games with more than 200 yards from scrimmage.
The Panthers would get the chance to cash in on their solid free agent signing, one who likely won't be back in Carolina next year given Hubbard's continued presence.
It's unclear if the Panthers will actually pursue a move like this. But Barnwell makes a fair point that if a RB is sent packing, it probably won't be the long-term-signee Hubbard.
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