It's been reported that, even being 0-4 after four weeks, the Carolina Panthers will still be buyers at the trade deadline. And there are multiple reasons for that. The first one is that the Panthers don't own their first-round pick next year anyway, so tanking is not a smart option. Moreover, the idea of acquiring a better wide receiver option has also long-term considerations: it's a way to give rookie quarterback Bryce Young more chances to succeed.

The trade deadline is still four weeks away, but there is already a decent picture of who might be available and what are the options for the Panthers. So let's analyze ten potential targets for general manager Scott Fitterer.

PS.: salary cap numbers consider the scenario where the Panthers acquire the player at the trade deadline, and not before that.

Long-term options:

Tee Higgins

Cap hit: $1.66 million in 2023

Higgins is the most predictable and obvious option, but that doesn't mean it would be an easy deal to pull off. He is still very young, 24, and the Cincinnati Bengals haven't shown any interest in moving on from him. However, the Bengals season has been underwhelming, and Higgins is in the last year of his rookie deal. Cincinnati has recently extended Joe Burrow, and wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase will soon get his new deal too. If they don't feel paying two young wide receivers is an ideal roster-building path, the Panthers should be all around him. The other problem: would the Bengals want to do a deal without a 2024 first-round pick? In this case, the Panthers could be forced to include Brian Burns or multiple future high picks. If the Bengals prefer to keep both Chase and Higgins, it opens the door for another option: Tyler Boyd. He wouldn't solve the Panthers problems, but it would be another solid weapon for Young.

Jerry Jeudy

Cap hit: $1.49 million in 2023, $12.99 million in 2024

The Denver Broncos have considered trading away Jeudy since last year, but nobody seems to be willing to reach their demands. If the price goes down after such a disappointing start of the season under Sean Payton, there's a chance the Panthers step in to make the deal. Jeudy hasn't exactly lived up to his pre-draft hype, but his situation in Denver has always been chaotic. Last year, even with an awful offense around Russell Wilson, he still had more than 1,000 scrimmage yards and six touchdowns. He is also 24, so it's a long-term alternative for Carolina.

Darnell Mooney

Cap hit: $1.66 million in 2023

The Bears theoretically wouldn't like to trade an offensive weapon, but the reality is that they may face another complete rebuild soon, which includes trading away quarterback Justin Fields in the next offseason. And if that's the case, general manager Ryan Poles may decide it's better to add even more draft capital to adjust the roster-building timeline, considering Mooney is in the last year of his rookie deal. For the Panthers, he would be a decent option in the short-term, and they could also extend him to be a long-term secondary offensive piece.

Rashod Bateman

Cap hit: $1 million in 2023, $2.38 million in 2024

Just like Jeudy, Bateman hasn't been what most pundits thought he would be. Now, he's behind Zay Flowers and Odell Beckham on the Baltimore Ravens depth chart. So, if the compensation is right, the Ravens could understand it makes sense to move on. Bateman is a decent option for the Panthers because he's under contract through 2024, and there's still a fifth-year option for 2025 to be exercised or not after this season.

Hollywood Brown

Cap hit: $7.45 million

Brown has already been traded in his NFL career, going from the Baltimore Ravens to the Arizona Cardinals. His stint in Phoenix has been fairly successful, to be fair, but the Cardinals are in year 1 of a rebuild — and maybe year 1 will be next year. New general manager Monti Ossenfort is a smart negotiator, and if he thinks Browns isn't a great option for the future, a trade is viable. For the Panthers, it's a more expensive option for 2023, because Brown is playing under the fifth-year option, and they would need to find a new deal beyond this season.

---

Older players:

Davante Adams

Cap hit: $3.63 million in 2023, $17.5 million in 2024 ($16.89 million guaranteed), $36.25 million in 2025 and in 2026 (non-guaranteed)

Adams has shown dissatisfaction with the way the Las Vegas Raiders are managed, saying he doesn't have time to wait. The Panthers are not exactly in win-now mode, but a player of this caliber could really change the season for Bryce Young and the entire offense. The idea of trading Adams one year and a half after acquiring him is not ideal for the Raiders, but they are bad and clearing up cap space could be the right move.

DeAndre Hopkins

Cap hit: $947k in 2023, $14 million in 2024

Hopkins signed with the Tennessee Titans to give them a clear WR1. It's an understandable move, but the Titans are not that good anyway. If over the next month they decide the team doesn't have what it takes to compete in the AFC, a trade to recoup some draft capital could be in play. The good news for the Panthers in this scenario is that Hopkins is under contract through 2024.

Mike Evans

Cap hit: $7.22 million

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been better than expected, so it may complicate things. But the parties haven't been able to find a long-term commitment, so the veteran receiver could be traded. An intra-divisional deal is never a likely scenario, but we've seen crazier things in the NFL.

---

Forgotten pieces:

Hunter Renfrow

Cap hit: $3.61 million in 2023, $11.88 million in 2024 (non-guaranteed)

Renfrow was a solid piece for the Raiders under Jon Gruden, but he's been an afterthought since Josh McDaniels took over. And this is really strange, considering how well the theory of Renfrow aligns with the slot type McDaniels used to have in New England. Renfrow wasn't going to be the wide receiver 1 the Panthers need, but the draft capital to acquire him wouldn't be that significant either.

Mecole Hardman

Cap hit: $710k

Hardman was signed by the New York Jets in free agency to be a speedster, but after Aaron Rodgers' injury, there hasn't been a regular role for him on the offense. He wouldn't be a true number 1 for the Panthers, but the ability to stretch the field both vertically and horizontally would be intriguing for Frank Reich, and the price is appealing.

Panthers named as trade destination for Bengals receiver Tee Higgins

The question that hangs over the Carolina Panthers is if Bryce Young and the rest of his offense can spread the field vertically.