Asset management in the NFL is incredibly difficult. You are either so good at it that you become known for a certain callousness (which, in turn, leads to its own set of problems), or you are so bad at it that you become the Carolina Panthers.
Carolina, over the course of a few seasons, dealt Christian McCaffrey, one of the most dynamic players in the NFL (and a fringe MVP candidate who should be getting more serious consideration) for a bundle of picks that were repackaged to draft Bryce Young and linebacker DJ Johnson. They included DJ Moore, an incredible value at the receiver position and a still-appreciating talent set, as part of the Young trade. They failed to trade Brian Burns at the 2022 trade deadline and will likely franchise-tag him in the event Burns fails to agree to a long-term deal. This will only complicate negotiations because, as edge players such as Micah Parsons hit the open market, the financial burden on teams hoping to sign pass rushers is going to increase. Carolina offers one example of how many incorrect decisions can put an organization miles behind the curve.
Mike Dinovo/USA TODAY Sports
