Analysis: What the C.J. Henderson trade tells us about the Panthers
What did the Carolina Panthers do when they lost a young cornerback that was recently drafted as a top-10 selection? Well, they traded for another young cornerback that was recently drafted as a top-10 selection.
On Monday, the team announced a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars for C.J. Henderson. And, sure, of course this was a move to help fortify a battered secondary. But it’s actually much more than that.
Here’s what the latest work from general manager Scott Fitterer and head coach Matt Rhule tells us about the Panthers.
They're ready to win now and in the future
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Carolina won't be seeing Jaycee Horn and Myles Hartsfield, two valuable pieces to their secondary, for quite some time. So, again, this trade will help address those absences right away. Henderson, however, is not just a bandaid. To the Panthers, he's very much like quarterback Sam Darnold—a young, highly-drafted prospect turned team project. The coaching staff will try to, as they're onto with Darnold, breathe new life into Henderson after a failed stint with his previous squad. And why not? He's everything, at least from the most basic outlook, Fitterer and the rest of the Seahawks brass built their legendary secondary off of. He's a lengthy 6-foot-1, 204-pound corner with standout athleticism, range, fluidity and ball skills. We're not saying he's primed to be a prime Richard Sherman, but the clay is there to mold and there'll be plenty of time to do so on a rookie contract for this 22-year-old. With this move, the Panthers have made it clear they're out to invest in contention not only now, at 3-0, but obviously for the future.
It's Tommy Tremble Time
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Going off to Jacksonville in exchange for Henderson along with a third-round pick will be first-string tight end Dan Arnold. That now leaves Ian Thomas and Tommy Tremble as the top two options at the position, with the latter now already coming into his own. Perhaps it wasn't the coming-out party, but Week 3 was at least the start of the party planning for Tremble's breakout. In the team's 24-9 win over the Houston Texans, the rookie became the youngest tight end to ever score on a rushing attempt and reeled in an eye-opening 30-yard reception. Rhule, subsequently, sang Tremble's praises. He compared the 2021 third-round pick to Carolina's 2020 second-round pick, safety Jeremy Chinn, detailing how his athleticism and versatility will turn him into an exciting weapon for Carolina moving forward. Well, it seems we've moved forward with Tremble now moving up in the pecking order post-Arnold.
Scott Fitterer and Matt Rhule remain a breath of fresh air for the franchise
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Saying "We've never seen something like this before" for a hardly 30-year-old franchise may not hold the heaviest of weight in some cases. This particular instance, however, is quite apropos of that saying. This franchise has never had, especially in its general manager position, such a focused and transparent direction at the top of its organization as it does now. So, yeah, Fitterer was not lying about that "in on every deal" stuff. Since coming over from Seattle, the 47-year-old executive has crafted one heck of a roster already. Through his feverish draft-day activity and his deals for seemingly overlooked gems such as Darnold, defensive ends Haason Reddick and Morgan Fox and defensive tackle DaQuan Jones, the guy's been a very good type of busy. And imagine if he hits on this Henderson swap. The Panthers could be boasting a secondary led by him, Horn and Donte Jackson, all 25 years old and younger, for seasons to come. That'll be a job to see through for Rhule, who has accentuated the talent admirably well thus far. 3-0 and already atop of a division with the defending Super Bowl champions and the three-time defending NFC South champions? Not too shabby, fellas. [listicle id=641400]
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