The Carolina Panthers could have had a star wide receiver, David Newton of ESPN reported in his column. 

Scott Fitterer and the rest of the Panthers front office went after Davante Adams and Tee Higgins at the trade deadline but didn't pull the trigger on the deal. 

"They went after the Bengals’ Higgins and elite receiver Davante Adams of the Las Vegas Raiders before the trade deadline, according to an NFL front office source with knowledge of discussions," Newton writes. "Neither team was willing to deal."

The Panthers attempted to build around rookie quarterback Bryce Youn, who has struggled in the 2023 season for a myriad of reasons — one of which is the lack of truly elite receivers on the team. 

Adding Adams or Higgins could have been the difference the Panthers needed. But without the other team's willingness to deal, it was clear that the Panthers would just stay put. 

And that they did. 

Carolina, despite Young's struggles, is unapologetically building around the quarterback it gave up the future for during the offseason. 

The lack of progression for the rookie has contributed to head coach Frank Reich being on the hot seat. If anyone is going to go first, it will be Reich's coaching regime. 

In a season that is lost, a 1-8 record through 10 weeks of the season, it is now clear that the Panthers could have at least acquired some much-needed offensive talent. Everything else is relatively unknown. 

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