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Greg Auman
NFC South Reporter
Hours before the NFL’s deadline for such moves, the Panthers announced Tuesday morning they had placed their franchise tag on edge rusher Brian Burns, who would otherwise have become one of the league’s most coveted free agents next week.
The move was widely expected, and will pay Burns $24 million in 2024, a nice raise from the $16 million he got on his fifth-year option last season.
The big question to come is this: Do the Panthers intend to keep Burns this season?
He made the Pro Bowl in 2021 and 2022, missing this past season when he had only eight sacks, one-half off his career low in five NFL seasons. Some of that can be attributed to the Panthers’ overall struggles, constantly trailing, which means opponents aren’t passing late in games when sacks are perhaps easiest to come by.
Despite the sack downturn, Burns, who turns 26 next month, is in position to be one of the highest-paid pass-rushers — and by that, highest-paid non-quarterbacks — in the NFL, reportedly seeking $30 million a year or more. The Panthers wanted to keep Burns enough that they turned down a widely reported offer from the Rams of two first-round picks. But if Carolina doesn’t want to pay that much on a long-term deal, it’s probably in the team’s best interests to deal him, or “tag and trade” him for a package of draft picks.
The tagged salary of $24 million takes up a major chunk of the Panthers’ existing salary-cap space, which was roughly $36 million entering the week. A struggling franchise should be hesitant to give up one of its best players, but the Panthers need enough help that between the picks acquired for Burns and the cap space freed up by his departure, Carolina could in theory upgrade four or five starting positions with new players.
What might their return look like on a Burns trade? The recent market for a tagged pass-rusher is a second-round pick and a later pick. The Jaguars got a two…
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Publish date : 2024-03-05 16:48:42
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