High profile trades in the National Football League are semi-rare compared to some other sports, but they aren’t outside the realm of possibility. At this point in the season, several teams see their playoff hopes slipping away and might be more likely to look toward setting themselves up for the future. The Oakland Raiders made such a move yesterday, trading away Amari Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys and getting a first round pick in return.

The #Cowboys are sending a first-round pick to the #Raiders for WR Amari Cooper, source said. Big move for Dallas. — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 22, 2018

The Carolina Panthers currently sit at 4-2 on the year, and are very much in playoff contention. To have success, one of the issues that needs correcting is being able to consistently generate a pass rush on defense. While the team as a whole is in the high middle of the pack in overall sacks, it has been very feast or famine for the defensive line. Also, looking forward, it is almost certain that this will be Julius Pepper’s final year in uniform.

To shore up that area of the defense, and to give the Panthers a very good (sometimes elite) edge rusher, you have to look at teams who have a reason to give away such a talent. For me, there is only one real target that will move the needle and get the Panthers over the edge, and that is to acquire Calais Campbell from the Jacksonville Jaguars. Let me tell you why:

The upside for Jacksonville

The current track for the Jaguars is not a good one. They have major issues offensively, and the defense has also appeared to take a big step back from their dominant form last season. They currently sit at 3-4 and have lost their last three. The quarterback situation is a disaster, and Leonard Fournette is slated to miss even more time. Once this season is over, Calais Campbell could very much be someone granted his outright release. His contract is structured in such a way that it is fully guaranteed for the remainder of this year, but he can be released next season with a $3 million dead cap hit.

Working a trade for him now gets you something for your trouble instead of just an outright cut that doesn’t benefit you in any way. I’d estimate fair value for a player his age, and with his contract, to be a third or fourth round pick, as the receiving team will also be getting a player they could theoretically release at the end of this year. Yes, it absolutely hurts your defense, but if the Jaguars take another loss next week, this could be a shrewd move just before the October 30th trade deadline.

The upside for Carolina

On the field, the Panthers get one of the historically best defensive linemen in the NFL. His play has not been quite as amazing this year as in past years, but as recently as last season, he was one of the absolute best. He still can be the best, and coming to a winning team on a playoff track tends to motivate a guy. His addition has an immediate impact, certainly dialing up the pressure the Panthers can generate, as well as granting Julius Peppers a more situational role where he’ll thrive. On top of that, Campbell has been known to play every position on the line, which surely appeals to Ron Rivera and Eric Washington.

Dontari Poe, the Panthers' prized free agent acquisition, has had a quiet start to the 2018 season.



"It's tough," Poe said. "Sometimes you just have to stick with it and let things come. The plays will come." https://t.co/FPWqz5wqPW — Max Henson (@PanthersMax) October 19, 2018

Salary cap considered, the Panthers take on no risk outside his current year contract. Should the Panthers want to keep him after the season, he does have two more years left on the deal, but they will not be guaranteed thanks to the trade. He could be restructured, kept on his current deal, or just be a one year rental, as cap space allows. He is currently 32 years old, and is going to be effective for a while yet, though is no longer in his absolute prime.

The price

Jacksonville would certainly want a draft pick in return unless they are eyeing one of our skill position players on offense. A third round pick is probably the highest I personally would go for a guy above 30 on a high priced deal that likely needs to be restructured to get a multi-year benefit.

Is it feasibly possible under the current cap situation?

It will take significant maneuvering. Assuming a trade after week 8 and before the deadline, the Panthers would be on the hook for half of Campbell’s remaining guaranteed salary, which totals $7.5 million. The Panthers are currently right up against the salary cap wall according to Spotrac. This is a situation where a trade with an immediate restructure could be in play, or a significant restructure to other current player salaries. The Panthers could kick the can down the line quite a bit, and in the NFL, money maneuvering always seems to be possible with the right incentive.

Would Marty Hurney do it?

History suggests that Marty Hurney is not afraid to send picks to acquire needed talent. The most notable example is Greg Olsen, who was a much younger player, and was had for a third round pick. Probably the greatest trade in our franchise history. The better question is, do the Panthers see the need for a better pass rush to take us on a deep run? Ron Rivera has commented already that the pass rush is rounding into form and will probably make another late season surge.

Would YOU do it?