Panthers mailbag: Should Carolina trade for DeAndre Hopkins? Exploring options after free agency

Players signing one-year deals is the unofficial signal of the third wave of free agency.

Take defensive end Henry Anderson for example. On Tuesday, Carolina agreed to terms on a one-year contract to bring back the 31-year-old edge defender who originally joined the Panthers last season. His market was tough to forecast because he missed six games with what he called a “minor stroke.” He produced 18 tackles and five pressures last year.

Perhaps a few more one-year deals roll in, but for the most part free agency is coming to an end. As head coach Frank Reich and general manager Scott Fitterer said at their Monday press conferences, it’s time to shift focus to the NFL Draft. The Panthers have a large contingent traveling to pro days this week for Ohio State, Alabama and Kentucky.

That’s why The Observer has put together a special “post-free-agency” edition of the weekly mailbag.

Below are some standout questions from our recent stack of fan inquiries:

J. Dub asks: How different do you think the reaction would’ve been if the Panthers-Bears trade didn’t happen, then “reports” came out that it didn’t happen only because the Panthers refused to include DJ Moore?

Interesting hypothetical. Here is how I think what you’re asking could’ve played out had the Panthers not traded for the No. 1 pick.

Evidence suggests the Panthers were destined to trade up. Coach Frank Reich said the team understood it was in a tough spot trying to draft a quarterback at No. 9, plus several reports suggest the Cardinals won’t stay at No. 3. Therefore, Carolina could’ve struck a deal with Arizona for the No. 3 selection. Had Carolina traded with Arizona instead of Chicago then DJ Moore likely remains a Panther. That’s when the team would’ve disclosed Moore as a priority and keeping him was only possible by trading up six spots instead of eight.

However, the obvious risk there is if the Panthers have two quarterbacks ranked higher than the others. Say, C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young, for example. All this is hypothetical. We won’t know the true value of the No. 3 pick until a trade is made.

Trading Moore came down to comparing his value versus a 2025 first-round pick, which is a rather subjective argument. Moore is a more valuable short-term asset. He’s a multi-dimensional receiver on a team-friendly contract who will help the Bears accurately decide whether Justin Fields is their future or not. Carolina also needs to surround its future rookie quarterback with weapons to make an identical evaluation. But Fields is entering Year 3. Whereas Carolina has about two years to compile perimeter talent.

Simply put, trading to No. 3 likely takes Young and Stroud off the board. The Texans weren’t interested in moving down, which left Carolina only the Bears to trade with and Chicago coveted Moore.

@distinctalerts asks: What roles will the players currently on the roster take in Reich’s offense, and what are we missing/need to upgrade in his offense?

I’ll try and be more optimistic than parts of Panthers’ Twitter that made different iterations of the same “Carolina wouldn’t be stopped at the airport with these weapons” joke after the team announced the signings of Adam Thielen, Hayden Hurst and Miles Sanders.

As a whole, the Panthers’ offense still has glaring needs. There is not much vertical speed at wide receiver. The team still needs a between-the-tackles or change-of-pace-like complement to Sanders. And the tight-end room is better but still underwhelming. Carolina could still sign receiver D.J. Chark. He’s another No. 3 receiver but would technically bring speed to a non-threatening room. Besides Chark, I expect Carolina to add playmakers via the draft or trade.

It’s still early in the offseason. Carolina has time to add more talent. For example, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell recently theorized about Carolina trading for Cardinals receiver DeAndre Hopkins. There are a lot of variables in a potential Hopkins deal. Most notably, would Hopkins want to play for Carolina, especially if the team is unwilling to renegotiate his contract by adding more guaranteed money? Trade compensation matters, too. Would the Cardinals accept a third-rounder for Hopkins? If so, then Carolina must compare the receivers it has a third-round grade on to Hopkins, among several other factors.

Carolina should take a dart-throwing mentally at acquiring young pass catchers, similar to its quarterback acquisition strategy from previous offseasons. That’s not an endorsement to spend carelessly and trade recklessly. But Carolina needs to surround its next rookie quarterback with more than underneath pass catchers, which is what Hurst and Thielen are.

@ismaeljimenezg asks: Position of need to address with pick 39? (WR, TE, Edge, LB, CB)? Any potential targets?

You listed the team’s positions of need above. Both Mike Kaye and I have done a Panthers mock draft and we each have Carolina selecting North Carolina receiver Josh Downs in the second round. Unless the Panthers trade for a receiver I’d expect the position to take priority over all others. Other receivers to watch in this range are Jordan Addison (USC), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Ohio State), and Zay Flowers (Boston College). Those three are expected to be drafted in the first round but would benefit Carolina if any were to fall.

Which is why Downs is consistently mocked to Carolina. Downs is a smooth route runner who keeps defensive backs guessing with a diverse set of release moves and in-route hesitations. His hands are strong, and he plays bigger than his 171-pound frame suggests. He caught 94 passes for 1,029 yards and scored 11 touchdowns last season.

Karl Hungus asks: With the signing of Theilen and the potential to add more wide receiver depth, it looks like Laviska Shenault Jr. and Shi Smith could be training camp cuts. Who would you rather have, Shenault or Smith?

Successful roster construction avoids adding repetitive talent. The only exception is building upon positions of strength like the 49ers and Eagles have done the past few years with their respective defensive lines.

Slot receiver was not a position of strength in Carolina. Reich said the team views Theilen as capable of playing both outside and inside. In theory, he’s made both Shenault and Smith expendable. But Shenault and Smith are drastically different football players. Shenault is about three inches taller and 30 pounds heavier. He generated 330 yards after the catch last season, including a game-swinging 67-yard score in Week 2. His 42-yard rushing touchdown at home against Atlanta helped Carolina seal a Week 10 victory.

At his Monday press conference, Reich said the team desires playmakers with after-the-catch ability. Shenault is the type of explosive athlete coaches fantasize about. At the very least, he’s a gadget player. Smith, on the other hand, is now the team’s second-best slot operator.

It’s important to keep in mind Shenault and Smith are acquisitions of a previous head-coaching regime. If the Panthers draft a receiver at No. 39 then neither are locks to make the final 53-man roster.

Zach Kahn asks: Hi Ellis and Mike! I really want to know if TMJ (Terrace Marshall Jr.) will be a No. 2 receiver heading into the season or are the Panthers going to draft or trade for No. 2 or No. 1 guy.

Hey Zach, I answered part of your question above but wanted to briefly expand on Marshall.

Marshall established himself as a down-field threat during the second half of this season.

His large catch radius and vertical playmaking ability are why the Panthers drafted him at No. 59 in the 2021 draft. He showed flashes of dominance this year, but can he become a steady No. 2 receiver or even blossom into a No. 1 guy? He’ll have every opportunity to answer those questions as Carolina tries to replace Moore. But several advanced metrics suggest Marshall is prime for a breakout year next season.

Marshall’s 67.7 overall grade from Pro Football Focus ranks 56th among qualified receivers. Football Outsiders ranked Marshall No. 10 in DVOA for receivers with less than 49 receptions. With a larger sample size, Marshall likely would’ve been a top-25 receiver, according to Football Outsiders.

The eye test agrees. Marshall made a spectacular 36-yard reception against the Lions in Week 16. The grab belongs on a poster. Marshall attacked the ball at its highest point and completed the catch by wrapping his arms around the ball and the defender’s right shoulder. His final catch of the season — a 21-yard reception against the Saints — set up kicker Eddy Piñeiro’s game-winning, 42-yard field goal.

Explosive plays like that tease Marshall’s true ceiling.