Could the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears make another trade?
The Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears made a blockbuster trade in March 2023.
Carolina sent D.J. Moore and picks to Chicago to get the first pick in the 2023 draft, allowing the Panthers to select Bryce Young.
The Bears and Panthers made the playoffs this season, with Carolina losing to the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card Round and Chicago falling to the Rams in the Divisional Round.
Could the Bears and Panthers make another trade with each other? NFL writer Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report thinks if Chicago looks to trade TE Cole Kmet, Carolina should pursue the veteran.
"The Carolina Panthers should be interested in adding a tight end of Kmet's caliber," Knox wrote. "Carolina won the NFC South and appears poised to take another positive step. However, it could use a more dynamic tight end to aid quarterback Bryce Young.
"Tommy Tremble led Panthers tight ends with just 249 receiving yards this past season."
Kmet is a talented TE, but he could be expendable in Chicago now because the Bears have Colston Loveland. Kmet finished this season with 30 receptions for 347 yards and two touchdowns.
The 26-year-old Kmet has been in the NFL since 2020. He has 288 catches for 2,939 yards and 21 touchdowns with the Bears.
Chicago could save $8.4 million by trading Kmet before March 15. The Bears are facing a cap deficit of more than $9.6 million, so we could see some trades this offseason by Ryan Poles.
The Panthers already have a star playmaker for Young in WR Tetairoa McMillan, who finished his rookie season with 70 catches for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns. Carolina's offense would become more dynamic with Kmet in the fold.
Young had 3,011 passing yards and 23 passing touchdowns in the regular season. Carolina has already picked up the fifth-year option on Young.
It will be intriguing to see how the Panthers perform next season with Young and McMillan leading the offense in Year 3 of the Dave Canales era.
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