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Terrace Marshall

Panthers Unlikely To Trade Brian Burns; Eagles Looked Into Jeremy Chinn

October 27th, 2023 at 8:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

In a strange position of being 0-6 and looking to add a wide receiver, the Panthers possess one of this year’s top trade pieces. Brian Burns continues to be mentioned in trades, with the parties’ failed summer negotiations playing a role in the edge rusher’s cloudy Carolina future.

The Panthers, however, are open to revisiting extension talks with Burns in-season. That may be leading to the chatter the fifth-year defender is more likely to stay. After a report earlier this week indicated the Panthers were informing teams they are not putting Burns on the table, The Athletic’s Joe Person indicates (subscription required) the expectation is Carolina’s top sack artist is not expected to be dealt.

Given what the Panthers rejected for Burns at multiple points over the past year, committing to hammering out an extension would make sense. The team turned down a Rams offer of two first-rounders last year. Los Angeles not having a 2023 first-round pick played into Carolina’s decision to pass there, but Burns — who is now in a contract year, being tied to a $16MM fifth-year option salary — will almost definitely not generate that kind of offer before this year’s Tuesday deadline. Carolina also refused to include Burns in its March trade with Chicago, which led to the Bears insisting D.J. Moore be part of the package that netted the Panthers the No. 1 overall pick.

Those organizational decisions have likely emboldened Burns on the extension front, and Nick Bosa raising the defensive salary ceiling to $34MM per year undoubtedly impacted the Panthers’ negotiations as well. While Burns was previously believed to be in line for a deal that placed him in the top five among edge rushers — more likely at the bottom of that list, around Maxx Crosby‘s $23.5MM-per-year extension — Bosa’s agreement and the salary cap’s rise have likely led Burns’ camp to push for more.

If Carolina commits to revisiting the extension talks, the team will have a 2024 franchise tag in its back pocket. Using a base 3-4 defense, the Panthers would be in line to attempt to save some money on a Burns tag. Even though he functions primarily as an edge rusher, teams have successfully classified 3-4 OLBs as linebackers — rather than defensive ends — under a tag formula that still groups all linebackers together while separating defensive ends. Recent precedent favored the teams here.

In 2020, 3-4 OLBs Shaquil Barrett, Bud Dupree and Matt Judon were each tagged as linebackers. Though, the Ravens and Judon agreed to a compromise that upped the edge defender’s tender number that year. OverTheCap projects the 2024 linebacker tag to check in at $17.42MM and the D-end tag to be $21.64MM. This could be a negotiating tool for the Panthers, should they decide to continue down the road with Burns rather than trade him by Tuesday.

Additionally, the Panthers are still open to trading Jeremy Chinn, Donte Jackson and Terrace Marshall. This has been the case for a bit now, and Marshall requested to be moved. The Eagles made a splashy safety trade this week, landing All-Pro Kevin Byard from the Titans. Prior to the Byard deal being completed, Person adds Philadelphia pursued Chinn.

However, the contract-year DB suffered a quad injury that led him to IR. The Eagles were close to drafting Chinn in the 2020 second round, ultimately deciding to take Jalen Hurts instead despite rostering Carson Wentz at the time. That decision changed the direction of the franchise. While Chinn has excelled at points for the Panthers, he had seen his snaps reduced in Ejiro Evero‘s system prior to the injury. The Panthers should still be expected to be thrown into trade rumors before the 3pm Tuesday deadline, but Chinn is now likely to close out his contract year in Charlotte.

Latest On Panthers, Brian Burns; Team Still Interested In Adding WR

October 25th, 2023 at 10:18am CST by Sam Robinson

Leading up to the 2022 trade deadline, the Panthers received a monster offer for Brian Burns. Clinging to their all-in period, the Rams offered two first-rounders and a third for the ascending edge rusher. With neither of those firsts coming in 2023, the Panthers turned down the proposal and committed to hammering out an extension.

Despite extensive talks this offseason, no Burns extension is in place. The Panthers have the 2019 first-round pick tied to a $16MM fifth-year option salary and will have the franchise tag at their disposal next year. Burns’ status with Carolina beyond this season is in doubt, however, and trade rumors are following the Pro Bowl edge once again.

The lack of progress between Burns and the Panthers could lead to a trade, and GM Scott Fitterer is believed to have taken calls on the team’s top pass rusher. Those inquiries do not look to have produced an offer anywhere close to what the Rams proposed last year, with ESPN.com’s David Newton noting Burns interest has been somewhat scarce this time around.

The Panthers do not want to deal Burns, and Newton adds a first-round pick would be required for the team to move on. The Rams’ offer may end up becoming a significant “what if?” in recent Panthers history, especially if the organization moves on before the Oct. 31 deadline for a lesser package. But hurdles exist on the way to an extension agreement.

Both sides want to come to terms on an extension, per the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora, but enough of a gap exists here to cause legitimate concern no deal will come to pass. If the prospects of a re-up are bleak enough, the Panthers may consider reversing course and moving on from Burns. The Ron Rivera-era investment has continued his pace this season, notching four sacks and posting nine QB hits in six games.

Burns, 25, and the Panthers began negotiations back in June. Even that appeared a bit late, considering the Florida State alum became extension-eligible in January 2022. A deal near the Bradley Chubb–Maxx Crosby level ($22-$24MM) was viewed as a potential Burns sweet spot, but these negotiations had not progressed by training camp. Burns initially said he did not want to miss any time due to his contract, but be backtracked by staging an unusual hold-in effort after he had already begun practicing. But Burns’ 11th-hour move did not produce a deal. The Panthers are open to negotiating in-season, though Burns confirmed the talks never came close to producing a deal before Week 1.

In addition to wielding the leverage that came from the Panthers turning down the Rams’ monster offer, Burns’ camp also could use the fact he was kept out of the Bears trade this March. Chicago brought up Burns and Derrick Brown, but Fitterer successfully kept both rookie-contract pass rushers out of the deal. This led to D.J. Moore‘s inclusion. While the Panthers made an effective commitment to Burns by turning down trade overtures in October 2022 and this past March, that could prove costly from a financial standpoint — especially with Nick Bosa boosting the edge defender market in September.

Bosa’s new deal came in a whopping $6MM north of T.J. Watt‘s previous edge-record AAV ($28MM). With Bosa at $34MM per year, it is logical to expect Burns’ asking price to have gone up. With the NFL’s third- and fourth-highest-paid edges — Joey Bosa ($27MM per year) and Myles Garrett ($25MM) — more accomplished than Burns, Carolina’s hesitancy is also understandable. The sides do not have to reach an agreement by the trade deadline, though that would provide some finality. But if no confidence exists the parties will come to terms in the future, Burns would be one of this year’s top trade pieces available.

Additionally, the Panthers are still believed to be targeting a wide receiver. They make for perhaps the league’s strangest buyer, being the only winless team remaining, but La Canfora adds the team continues to eye weaponry. The Panthers have not seen much from their non-Adam Thielen wing of targets, and with Bryce Young also offering an inconsistent start, it is logical for the team to be looking around for help.

The Panthers are open to moving Terrace Marshall, and while their prime window to augment their receiving corps may come next year, the previously rumored receiver interest persists days ahead of the deadline. Marshall said (via The Athletic’s Joe Person) his role decrease has impacted the recent trade request.

Panthers Grant WR Terrace Marshall Permission To Seek Trade

October 19th, 2023 at 1:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mentioned as a trade candidate earlier this month, Terrace Marshall would like to move on. The former second-round pick has been unable to carve out a steady role with the Panthers, and the team is ready to make a deal.

The Panthers have given Marshall’s camp permission to find a trade partner, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports. After showing improvement last season, the LSU alum has operated in a reduced role to start Frank Reich‘s tenure. With the Panthers in their bye week, all parties involved will see what is out there in a trade.

Part of a historically successful receiving corps — one including Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase — while in college, Marshall joined a Panthers team housing former Tigers assistant Joe Barry as offensive coordinator. But 2021’s No. 59 overall pick showed more promise under Ben McAdoo last season. The 6-foot-2 wideout averaged 17.5 yards per reception (28 catches, 490 yards) in 2022. Thus far this year, Marshall is at 16-114.

The trade to acquire Bryce Young required the Panthers to part with No. 1 receiver D.J. Moore. After the Panthers dumped the former Robbie Anderson (now Robbie Chosen) before last year’s deadline, Marshall represents the last major link to the team’s Matt Rhule-era receiver plan. The Panthers signed Adam Thielen and DJ Chark before using a second-round pick on Jonathan Mingo. Instead of including this year’s Round 2 pick (No. 38 overall) in the Moore trade — as the Bears initially requested — Carolina included two future seconds. This led to Mingo, who has played ahead of Marshall this season.

Thielen, Chark and Mingo have each played at least 275 offensive snaps; Marshall has only been on the field for 146. Marshall topped 650 yards for LSU’s unbeaten national championship team, and after Jefferson became a 2020 first-rounder and Chase opted out that year, the younger pass catcher totaled a career-high 731 receiving yards. Marshall closed his LSU career with 23 touchdown catches from 2019-20; he has one career NFL score.

The Bears and Rams have accepted low-end returns for former second-round receivers this season, respectively sending Chase Claypool and Van Jefferson to the Dolphins and Falcons in pick-swap deals that sent the wideouts and seventh-rounders elsewhere in exchange for sixths. Both Claypool and Jefferson have outproduced Marshall, though the latter’s rookie deal running through 2024 could put Carolina in position to do a touch better in a potential trade. Though, it should not be expected Marshall will generate too much of a market.

Sitting as the NFL’s only winless team, the 0-6 Panthers also have the door open to trading Donte Jackson and Jeremy Chinn. The latter’s quad injury likely keeps him in Charlotte to close out his contract year, and it would be interesting to see the Panthers move Jackson — considering Jaycee Horn‘s significant hamstring injury. But the Panthers are understandably open for business on certain players, with this season — despite a Steve Wilks-overseen 6-6 finish last year — a clear rebuilding campaign. It will be interesting to see if the Panthers put bigger pieces — like contract-year edge Brian Burns — on the table.

Panthers’ Jeremy Chinn, Terrace Marshall, Donte Jackson On Trade Block

October 13th, 2023 at 8:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Panthers have been connected to making an addition in advance of the trade deadline (specifically at the wide receiver position), but the league’s only winless team should be expected to be sellers on the whole. A number of players could soon find themselves out of Carolina as a result.

Two-time Pro Bow edge rusher Brian Burns would of course be the top prize for an acquiring team in any Panthers-related swap, but having an extension worked out would be necessary to justify the trade price required on that front. The Panthers turned down a haul for Burns including two first-round picks from the Rams last season, so another substantial proposal would no doubt be required for serious trade talks to take place. Extension negotiations for the former first-rounder — who is playing on the fifth-year option in 2023 and is thus due for free agency or a franchise tag in March — are on hold.

A trio of other Panthers are available to be had in the near future, however, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. Hybrid safety/linebacker Jeremy Chinn, along with wideout Terrace Marshall and cornerback Donte Jackson find themselves on the trade block. Any member of that trio would require far less to acquire than Burns, and they would arrive with varying degrees of expectations on a new team.

Chinn is in the final year of his rookie contract, and he would make for a logical rental candidate on a team with the right scheme to utilize his skillset. The former Defensive Rookie of the Year runner up eclipsed 100 tackles in each of his first two seasons, and he remained a full-time starter last year (one in which he missed signficant time due to a hamstring injury). Chinn was one of a select few players essentially deemed off-limits ahead of the 2022 deadline, but his playing time has dropped considerably this year in new DC Ejiro Evero‘s 3-4 scheme. A fresh start may be beneficial to team and player.

Marshall, like Jackson, is on the books through 2024. The former had high expectations as a second-round pick, but he has yet to lock down a full-time starting workload to date. The LSU alum seemed to be assured of a role ahead of the campaign by new head coach Frank Reich, but he did not see the field in Week 5 despite dressing. Marshall has totaled 16 catches for 114 scoreless yards while seeing a 64% snap share. Of course, any WR addition on Carolina’s part would threaten to knock him further down the depth chart and make a move sending him elsewhere a logical one.

Unlike the other two, Jackson is not attached to a rookie contract and would require a larger financial investment from an acquiring team. The 27-year-old would be due the balance of his $10.62MM in compensation this year if he were dealt, and his new club would be on the hook for that amount next year as well. Jackson’s 2024 cap hit, though, is set at $15.82MM, something which would take him off certain teams’ radars. Carolina would incur a dead cap charge of $5.2MM this season and next by trading the former second-rounder; only 2024 would yield a net gain in cap space.

Jackson has started all but four of his 68 games, each of which have been spent with the Panthers. He has recorded between two and four interceptions each season, though injuries have ended his last two campaigns. An Achilles tear limited him to nine contests in 2022, but Jackson has returned to full health and logged a starting workload in his four games played this year.

The Panthers are taking a cautious approach with respect to their new-look coaching staff, but changes could be coming on the field if calls on Chinn, Marshall and/or Jackson produce a trade agreement. Other players could be on the move as well, of course, but for now the future of that trio will be worth watching.

WR Notes: Watson, Metchie, Chark, McLaurin, Smith-Njigba

September 8th, 2023 at 9:45pm CST by Ely Allen

Jordan Love‘s tenure as the Packers‘ full-time starting quarterback will have a bit of a hurdle to navigate this week. In his first start since November 2021, Love will be without the team’s top returning receiver Christian Watson, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.

Watson is dealing with a hamstring injury that could potentially lead to an extended absence. Head coach Matt LaFleur claimed that he doesn’t think Watson will reach a three- or four-week absence but classified the second-year wideout as week-to-week.

The top target in Watson’s absence, fellow sophomore receiver Romeo Doubs, is also dealing with a hamstring injury but is only listed as questionable heading into the weekend. Rookie wideout Dontayvion Wicks is the third such receiver on the team dealing with a hamstring injury, but he managed to avoid the injury report altogether. Star tackle David Bakhtiari is also available after staying off the injury report.

Here are a few more reports on wide receiver injuries from around the league heading into Week 1:

  • The world will have to continue to wait for the NFL debut of Texans wide receiver John Metchie III, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. Despite making a recovery from both a torn ACL and leukemia, Metchie is still dealing with a nagging hamstring injury. Houston is being patient, taking a “big-picture approach” to Metchie’s return. The team will be without safety Jimmie Ward and linebacker Blake Cashman for Week 1, as well.
  • The Panthers are slowly working their way back to full health in their receiving corps, according to Panthers writer Augusta Stone. Back ups Terrace Marshall and Ihmir Smith-Marsette are now fully participating in practice after recent injury trouble. Starters Adam Thielen and D.J. Chark Jr. both returned to practice today in a limited capacity. While Thielen was listed as questionable and could still play, Chark has been ruled out for the team’s season opener.
  • The Commanders drew lots of criticism when leading receiver Terry McLaurin sustained an injury as the team played its starters fairly deep into a preseason game in an effort to end the Ravens’ preseason win streak. They’ll dodge a bullet, though, as McLaurin will be active this week after making good progress from his turf toe injury, according to Commanders senior writer Zach Selby. He’s had a couple of full participation practices and should be good to go for Week 1. Defensive end Chase Young has been listed as questionable, though. Head coach Ron Rivera claimed that “if (Young’s) cleared, he’ll go.”
  • Despite undergoing wrist surgery just two and a half weeks ago, Seahawks rookie first round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba is expected to play in the team’s season opener against the Rams this Sunday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Head coach Pete Carroll, who was optimistic on the recovery timeline, confirmed as much this week.

Latest On Terrace Marshall, Panthers’ WR Room

July 4th, 2023 at 6:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Panthers’ offense will look far different at the start of the 2023 season than it did at the conclusion of the previous campaign. Part of the reason for that is the changes made to the top of the team’s wide receiver depth chart.

D.J. Moore was a critical part of the package Carolina sent to the Bears for the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, a move which led to the arrival of quarterback Bryce Young but created a signficant vacancy at the WR spot. The Panthers responded by making pass-catching additions both in free agency and the draft.

In the span of a few days, veterans Adam Thielen and DJ Chark were inked to three- and one-year contracts, respectively. The veteran tandem will give Young an experienced set of targets in his rookie season, but Carolina also used a second-round pick on Jonathan Mingo. With those additions, questions were naturally raised regarding the future of incumbent Terrace Marshall.

The 2021 second-rounder played sparingly under ex-head coach Matt Rhule, putting up underwhelming numbers along the way. Rhule’s replacement with Steve Wilks opened the door to an increased workload, though, and Marshall totaled 490 yards and one touchdown on an average of 17.5 yards per reception in 2022. He managed to carry that success over into spring practices, and The Athletic’s Joe Person notes that the LSU alum has earned himself a secure roster spot for this season (subscription required) .

The 6-2, 200-pound Marshall demonstrated notable deep-threat and red zone abilities during his final two seasons in college and came to Carolina with considerable expectations. His 76% snap share last season demonstrated his ability to produce while handling a starter’s workload, though that figure could be under serious threat of dropping given the new faces in the team’s WR room. Still, the fact that his short-term future is assured should allow him to at least play a signficant rotational role for Carolina’s new-look offense.

A step forward in production from Marshall would help the Panthers improve on their 29th-place finish in passing yards from last season, but it would also serve him well heading into the first offseason in which he will be eligible for an extension. His performances in training camp and the preseason will be pivotal in determining where he stands in the receiver pecking order as he aims to make himself a long-term fixture for the team.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/5/22

January 5th, 2022 at 5:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears 

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Panthers, Terrace Marshall Agree To Deal

June 17th, 2021 at 8:42am CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers have agreed to terms with second-round pick Terrace Marshall. The wide receiver will play on a four-year deal worth $5.7MM, per the terms of his slot at No. 59.

After trading down twice in Round 2, the Panthers planned to select BYU tackle Brady Christensen and add LSU wideout Terrace Marshall Jr. with a subsequent trade-up shortly after. However, they changed course after hearing the Saints’ footsteps. Unwilling to let him get away, the Panthers leapfrogged their rivals and reunited Marshall with offensive coordinator Joe Brady. It all worked out for the Panthers, who still managed to take Christensen in the third round.

Marshall played a key role for LSU’s national championship team alongside Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase. He totaled 23 touchdown grabs between 2019 and 2020, a promising sign of what’s to come.

“Not too many people are 6-2, 200-plus and run a 4.3, and are able to make plays on the ball like Terrace does,” Brady said earlier this year. “When the ball’s in the air, Terrace always finds a way to come down with it, and I think he showcased that every time he was on the football field. Not a lot of games but a lot of production.”

Now, he’ll play alongside Panthers vets D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson, helping to replace ex-WR2 Emmanuel Sanders. Christensen and third-round tight end Tommy Tremble now stand as the Panthers’ last stragglers.