Why Panthers trading WR Moore to Bears is highly unlikely originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Almost the second the Carolina Panthers fired Matt Rhule on Monday, rumors started to trickle in about the possibility of an impending fire sale in Carolina. Given the Bears’ lack of talent at wide receiver after Darnell Mooney, the internet began to speculate the Bears could trade for Panthers star receiver D.J. Moore.
There’s no doubt that, in a vacuum, the Bears acquiring a talented 25-year-old receiver would make a ton of sense. Moore has posted three straight 1,000-yard seasons and has started to voice his frustration with the Panthers’ offense. Of the 54 receivers with at least 25 targets this season, Moore ranks dead last in catch rate at 45.9 percent. Moore’s teammate, Robbie Anderson, ranks one spot ahead of him at 48.1 percent.
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That tells you how much quarterback Baker Mayfield and the Panthers’ offense have struggled this season.
A change of scenery would benefit Moore, and he would fill a clear need in Chicago.
The Bears have the cap space to absorb Moore’s salary, which jumps from a base salary of $1.035 million this season to $19.9 million next year when his three-year contract extension kicks in.
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So, all that’s left is the compensation, right?
Therein lies the tricky part.
There’s nothing to suggest the Panthers are going to undergo a full-scale rebuild. It would make sense for Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer to try and unload star running back Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey plays a less premium position and has a long injury history.
But Moore is only 25, is a supremely talented wide receiver, and just agreed to a three-year contract extension that will keep him in Carolina through 2025.
There’s no reason for the Panthers to part ways with Moore unless the offer is too good to turn down. Carolina might be entering another rebuild, but players like Moore, Brian Burns, Jaycee Horn, and Derrick Browns are young and could be a good nucleus for the next head coach.
This past offseason, star receivers Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams, and A.J. Brown all were traded.
The Miami Dolphins traded five draft picks, including a first and a second, for Hill. The Green Bay Packers got a first and second from the Raiders for Adams, and the Tennessee Titans got a first-round pick from the Eagles for Brown.
All three receivers were looking for lucrative new contracts which also played into the compensation the teams received.
Moore isn’t at the level of any of the three receivers listed above, but also is under contract for three more seasons at a manageable number. His age and contract status make Moore a tantalizing potential trade target for much of the NFL. It also means the Panthers’ asking price is likely to be significant.
The price likely won’t be as high as what the Dolphins gave up for Hill, but it certainly will involve multiple picks, including a first-rounder.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles had to conduct his first draft without a first-round pick this past April. It’s unlikely he’d surrender the Bears’ top pick in 2023 as part of a deal for Moore.
The Bears are in Year 0 of a rebuild and would be wise to build through the draft for the next two seasons.
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A bigger sticking point in any potential Moore trade is that it makes little sense for the Panthers to trade a 25-year-old receiver six games into the season after they gave him a contract extension and a $20 million signing bonus. Trading Moore would also hit the Panthers with a $19 million dead cap hit across the remainder of 2022 and 2023.
It’s a tough pill to swallow for a team that’s likely embarking on another rebuild. One that makes little sense.
The chances of D.J. Moore getting traded are slim for a number of reasons. It makes little financial or team-building sense for Carolina, and the asking price for the Bears or any other team will likely be far too steep.
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