The Carolina Panthers plan to attack a specific position this offseason and that could lead to a trade with either the New York Giants or Chicago Bears.
That position, according to general manager Dan Morgan, is linebacker, where the team has a need with Christian Rozeboom hitting free agency this offseason.
“In terms of free agency and the draft, that’s a position that we’ll try to attack. We’re looking for guys who are leaders, who are playmakers, who are culture-fits for us,” Morgan said of the linebacker position, per The Athletic's Joe Person.
While the Panthers could very well bring Rozeboom back, they should be looking for a player who can provide an upgrade in coverage and against the run.
He struggled in both areas last season, with Rozeboom posing Pro Football Focus grades of 54.3 against the run and 43.4 in coverage, which ranked 75th and 72nd, respectively, among inside linebackers.
We mentioned the Bears and Giants because both teams have veteran linebackers who are cut or trade candidates.
In Chicago, that linebacker is Tremaine Edmunds, who was recently granted permission to seek a trade as the Bears prepare to cut him if no deal is found.
"The Chicago Bears have granted linebacker Tremaine Edmunds permission to seek a trade, a source confirmed to ESPN," Courtney Cronin of ESPN wrote.
Meanwhile, speculation has run rampant that the Giants could cut Bobby Okereke, who was listed as a cut candidate by one of their beat writers, The Athletic's Dan Duggan.
"A captain during each of his three seasons in New York, Okereke plays every snap as the leader of the defense," Duggan said. "But the 29-year-old’s performance has declined, so the savings from cutting him could be spent on an upgrade. A decision will come before a $3 million roster bonus is due on March 13."
While neither player has lived up to their current contracts, Okereke and Edmunds would still amount to upgrades over Rozeboom.
Okereke and Edmunds both posted superior PFF coverage grades last season (65.2 and 52.1), and Edmunds had an elite run defense grade of 81.8.
Okereke struggled against the run (45.4), but that was an outlier for his career. In the three years prior, Okereke posted grades of 71.8, 74.4 and 79.3.
Ideally, the Panthers wait for both players to get cut in order to save the draft capital it would require to acquire them, and signing them in free agency could cost less, also.
However, if Carolina doesn't want to leave anything to chance, trading for one of the two is a realistic possibility.
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