Week 7 marked the first time that the Carolina Panthers did not take a loss. Of course, this was because they had a bye week. At 0-6, the team is clearly not in playoff contention and will likely look to trade their aging veterans, which includes starting-caliber players like cornerback Donte Jackson. While nobody will confuse him with prime Deion Sanders, the former second-round pick is a solid player who should have some value on the open market. After all, in today’s pass-happy NFL, you can never have too many reliable defensive backs.
Panthers have received a trade inquiry about CB Donte Jackson, per @JFowlerESPN.
Panthers also have reached out to teams to gauge interest in Jackson, per sources.— Joe Person (@josephperson) October 20, 2023
3 Potential Donte Jackson Trade Destinations
Do The Donte Jackson Trade Rumors Make Sense?
Before we get into the potential trade destinations, we need to determine if the Panthers would actually trade Donte Jackson. While they clearly are entering yet another rebuild, they can’t possibly get rid of all their veteran talent. However, no matter how you look at this, Carolina will probably part ways with Jackson if an adequate suitor emerges.
First and foremost, let’s start with the contract. Jackson is technically under contract through the 2027 season, but he has some void years on his deal to spread out the dead money. In reality, the cornerback will become a free agent following the 2024 season, and the Panthers will not be contenders by that point. With this in mind, Carolina should consider a Donte Jackson trade so they can free up some cap space and try to get a player that could actually help them in the long term.
Additionally, Carolina desperately needs some draft picks. Carolina gave up a king’s ransom for Bryce Young, and this team needs to pick up additional draft capital somehow. Obviously, nobody is going to trade a first-round pick for two seasons of Donte Jackson, but every last pick helps. So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at the teams that could actually go after him.
Los Angeles Chargers
At 2-4, the Los Angeles Chargers are not real contenders. However, head coach Brandon Staley will likely lose his job if he doesn’t deliver a winning product, so he could try and orchestrate a Donte Jackson trade to try and get into the playoffs. Justin Herbert hasn’t been his usual dominant self, but he’s still one of the better quarterbacks in the league. Unfortunately, the defense is one of the worst in the league, as they are simply incapable of stopping anything through the air. Donte Jackson would immediately be the best or second-best cornerback on the team and could help slow down opposing aerial attacks. If Herbert can return to his dominant self, then this team could compete for a Wild Card spot.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars have clear control of a weak AFC South, but they’ll need to bolster their secondary if they want to compete with the AFC elite. The team entered Week 7 allowing 273.9 passing yards per game, the second-worst mark in the league. Put simply, that’s just not going to cut it against Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and all the other elite quarterbacks in the conference. A Donte Jackson trade wouldn’t turn this unit into the 1985 Chicago Bears, but he could improve the unit from bottom-five to average, and that’s all you need when Trevor Lawrence is your quarterback.
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins have one of the best offenses in the league, and opposing offenses will always be throwing to try and keep up. Jalen Ramsey is supposedly on the way back, but the former All-Pro might not be able to singlehandedly save this defense. The Dolphins are in the midst of their Super Bowl window, so they shouldn’t shy away from a Donte Jackson trade. After all, he could be the missing piece that completes this defense and helps bring Miami their first Super Bowl title since the 1970’s.
Main Photo: Bob Donnan – USA Today Sports
