Panthers’ latest injury news could leave Dan Morgan with no choice but to find a new starting-caliber defender
The Carolina Panthers need cornerback help for at least the next month, and general manager Dan Morgan will have to weigh expensive trade options and contract demands to address the position.
The Carolina Panthers have a problem at cornerback, and general manager Dan Morgan faces a decision that could reshape the roster over the next month and beyond.
On Wednesday, the Panthers placed both starting cornerbacks, Jaycee Horn (quad) and Mike Jackson (groin), on the injured reserve. That knocks the team’s top CB duo out for at least the next four weeks, although we know for sure that Horn’s injury is expected to sideline him even longer than that.
In corresponding moves, the Panthers promoted wide receiver David Moore and running back Tre Tyus from the practice squad to the 53-man roster and brought back cornerback Robert Rochell to fill one of those two practice squad spots. Interestingly enough, the team opted not to promote cornerback Corey Thornton from the practice squad, although he could eventually be a game day elevation.
As of now, the team’s three cornerbacks on the 53-man roster are rookie Will Lee III, Akayleb Evans, and Chau Smith-Wade. Carolina needs to make a move at the position in some capacity, and head coach Dave Canales told reporters on Monday that general manager Dan Morgan is already sniffing around for options that fit this scheme.
Joey Porter Jr. is NOT the name to watch for Carolina
The Panthers will have to get creative if they want to address the cornerback spot through a trade. Morgan won’t want to cough up a high pick for a stopgap starter and the Panthers have limited cap space to work with.
The most prominent name on the cornerback market is Joey Porter Jr., the former Pittsburgh Steelers second-round pick, who multiple teams have expressed interest in acquiring. Porter is widely expected to eventually get traded out of Pittsburgh sooner than later, but two major hurdles remain.
The first is the asking price. The Steelers have yet to settle on what they want in return, and the uncertainty around that number has slowed the process. The second is the contract Porter is seeking. He wants top-5 cornerback money, and that demand has been a significant factor in the ongoing holdup in Pittsburgh.
For Carolina, that combination of trade capital and a massive new deal makes Porter an unlikely target, especially with the team paying Horn. A move of that magnitude would be stunning given where the Panthers are financially and in terms of what they need.
Other external options to monitor
Free agency is likely the best route for the Panthers to take if they wanted to find a starting-caliber cornerback. There’s two veteran options out there in Marshon Lattimore and Tre’Davious White that could give Carolina a veteran presence they now need.
There’s two other trade options worth checking in on. Deonte Banks with the New York Giants, although he’s currently dealing with a calf injury, and Tyrique Stevenson with the Chicago Bears. Both players could fit this scheme and have uncertain long-term futures with the teams that drafted them.
The Giants have Andru Phillips and Greg Newsome II along with Paulson Adebo (who will eventually return from the IR). New York is also one of the rumored teams checking in on Porter in Pittsburgh.
As for Stevenson, the former second-round pick was healing with a hamstring injury last week but was not listed on the final Week 3 injury report with a designation. Yet, he was replaced in the starting lineup on the outside by rookie Malik Muhammad II and did not see the field until veteran defensive back Cam Lewis was injured.
Those would be some names to watch as the Panthers explore how they plan to move forward without one of the league’s top cornerback duos.
