Albert Breer on how the trade happened

[Mr. Scot]

From his latest MMQB column...

Inside the Bears–Panthers Trade: Deal Was All About QBs for Both Teams

Excerpts:

• The Panthers wanted to explore moving into the top five in general, but they didn’t talk to the Texans or Colts, figuring both were taking quarterbacks, and all that calling them would do is alert them to how serious Carolina was about doing the deal early. Talks with the Cardinals about going up to No. 3 gave the Panthers another option. The worry with pursuing Seattle’s pick at No. 5 (Fitterer worked for the Seahawks for 20 years, so he certainly could negotiate with GM John Schneider) was that, after the quarterbacks checked boxes at the combine, it could end up only necessitating a second move up.

• During the week, big-money deals coming in for Daniel Jones in New York and Derek Carr in New Orleans, plus the potential fully guaranteed outlay of a Lamar Jackson deal more or less cemented the Panthers’ plan to go up for a quarterback in the draft, rather than find a veteran at the position in free agency. The Panthers also figured seeing where the market was going would motivate other teams to trade into the top three, for talented, cost-controlled options at the position. So it was time to go.

• In the end, the price to go up to Arizona’s spot at No. 3 was close enough to Chicago’s price at No. 1 for the Panthers to focus on getting the first pick. Poles’s stated price was three first-round picks, if the deal was going to be done early. The Panthers knew it might end up being more than that for them specifically, since they’d be coming up eight spots, five more than Indianapolis and seven more than Houston.

• That’s where the teams got creative: The Bears and Panthers agreed that 25-year-old receiver DJ Moore, under contract at $52.265 million for the next three years (an average per year less than what Christian Kirk or Kenny Golladay got on the open market) was equal to the third first-round pick in a potential trade (that would be the 2025 pick). So Moore was packaged with the ninth and 61st picks (the 61st was the highest of the picks the Panthers got for McCaffrey), a ‘24 first-rounder, and a ‘25 second-rounder.

• For what it’s worth, rumblings I’d heard were that the price could wind up being two first-rounders and two second-rounders for teams in the top five. If you see it that way, Moore was the premium for the Bears going down to No. 9, giving up the idea of the double trade and doing the deal early.

• So where are the Panthers with the quarterbacks? They’re good with the film evaluation part of the process, though they’ll still do more. Now, it’ll be about finding out who each player is, how he processes and what makes him tick as a person. Carolina met with the top guys at the combine, but that’s just a jumping off point for what’s coming. The Panthers come out of the trade with six picks in April’s draft: the No. 1 pick, their own second-rounder (39th), the Niners’ third (93rd), two fourths (114th, 132nd) and a fifth (145th).

[chknwing]

[TheWiz]

Makes all the sense in the world. There are people in this fan base who are addicted to feeling horrible about this team. But I have to admit that this staff and the moves we're making have me feeling... 

[rayzor]

people who think that we could have gotten out of that trade with DJ still wearing a panther uni or that we gave up too much have to realize it wasn't just about us moving up to 1, it was giving the bears incentive to trade down to 9. that's quite a leap so the cost was going to have to be high.

[Mr. Scot]

A little more about the lead up to the initial discussions...

• The Panthers’ work in the fall wasn’t over the top, but it was thorough on the quarterbacks. The scouts were out, and the position was circled for them, obviously, with both Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold in contract years. GM Scott Fitterer’s exposure to the top guys was limited: He saw Will Levis and Hendon Hooker play against each other in the Kentucky–Tennessee game (ahead of the Panthers’ Halloween weekend game in Atlanta), he saw Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud play against Maryland (the day before Carolina played in Baltimore).

• That Carolina could be picking in the top 10 crystallized around that game against the Ravens, which dropped the Panthers to 3–8. Early draft meetings started soon thereafter, and that’s when the discussion on strategy began. The front office didn’t think the team was far off, and, with a little luck, wouldn’t be drafting so high, in striking distance of the top of the board, anytime soon. Also, the feeling was the roster didn’t have a ton of needs—the team could use a tight end, maybe another receiver. That balance, the brass thought, plus the haul that came for Christian McCaffrey, would give the team flexibility to get aggressive.

• Fitterer, assistant GM Dan Morgan and the scouts went to work on the quarterbacks’ tape when the season ended, and then had new head coach Frank Reich, offensive coordinator Thomas Brown and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown dive in with them once the staff was assembled. By the time they packed up for the combine, logically, they’d have to get to a comfortable level with at least a couple of the quarterbacks to justify having real discussions about moving to the top of the draft.

• The Panthers got there, and Reich was a big-time resource in helping find the way—his ability to see the tape through a quarterback’s eyes helped the front office get a cleaner read on Stroud, Levis, Bryce Young and Anthony Richardson, as well as a better feel for how each quarterback moved, felt the game and saw the field. Then, and now, the Panthers got conviction on a couple of the quarterbacks. They’ll keep working on all four and try to figure out whether there’s another one they gain a similar strong feeling for.

• Poles and Fitterer met first in Poles’s room at the Hyatt, and again later at Lucas Oil Stadium, more informally, after running into each other before prospect workouts. The Panthers showed motivation to get something done by being direct—going early would give Carolina a chance to fully vet every quarterback, and do it out in the open—but Fitterer also told Poles he could be patient, if that’s what it took. The two resolved to keep the lines of communication open, with both talking to other teams about trades as well.

• The Bears talked to Houston about dropping from No. 1 to No. 2, but it was a little unclear whether the Texans were ready to pull the trigger. (The idea appealed to the Bears because of the idea that they could trade down twice.) One other team seemed serious about coming up, with a fourth team also throwing its hat in late—but talks with the Panthers were advancing faster than with the other three.

[panther4life]

This is what I thought we’d see from Peter King, but appears he’s passed the torch down to Breer.

Ive stated it multiple times I hated trading D.J away but at the end of the day, we did what we had to do so this franchise can finally end this terrible cycle and pounce at a rare opportunity to pick their number 1 choice at QB, when there’s more than 1 guy potentially worthy.

This is the first offseason where the team has basically done everything I’ve wanted them to and it’s been amazing to see.

Now let’s go get Dalton Schultz, Jakobi Meyers and Adam Thielen!

[MHS831]

8 minutes ago, rayzor said:

people who think that we could have gotten out of that trade with DJ still wearing a panther uni or that we gave up too much have to realize it wasn't just about us moving up to 1, it was giving the bears incentive to trade down to 9. that's quite a leap so the cost was going to have to be high.

yes.  Fields needs the WR now, not in 2024 or 2025. They wanted to know that they had him before free agency.  It makes sense.

[Mr. Scot]

4 minutes ago, panther4life said:

This is what I thought we’d see from Peter King, but appears he’s passed the torch down to Breer.

Breer Is the best around at getting the behind the scenes info on major stories like this.

[MHS831]

This might be the most background information I have ever read about a trade.

[TheSpecialJuan]

23 minutes ago, chknwing said:

Ridiculous but very entertaining movie 

[LinvilleGorge]

Honestly, I would've gave up the three 1st rounders. An additional 1st is a LOT more palatable than two 2nds and DJ Moore IMO.

[Panthering]

Excited to hear how everyone is placing full trust in this staff to pick a QB, that's why you make the move to #1 right there.

[JawnyBlaze]

1 hour ago, LinvilleGorge said:

Honestly, I would've gave up the three 1st rounders. An additional 1st is a LOT more palatable than two 2nds and DJ Moore IMO.

It was reported that’s what the Panthers tried to do but the Bears wouldn’t do the deal without DJ

[LinvilleGorge]

5 minutes ago, JawnyBlaze said:

It was reported that’s what the Panthers tried to do but the Bears wouldn’t do the deal without DJ

I wouldn't have given up two 2nds plus DJ in that case then. Two 2nds plus DJ is a helluva lot more value than a future 1st.