The Carolina Panthers once again find themselves in the midst of a rebuild, which means they could trade a veteran like Brady Christensen for a future pick. After selecting Bryce Young as the first-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Carolina crashed and burned as they didn’t have the supporting talent to bring out the best in the Alabama product. With Dave Canales running the show, Carolina heavily invested in the offensive line, signing Robert Hunt to a $100 million contract and giving Damien Lewis a $53 million deal.
Carolina improved their offensive line, but they also displaced offensive lineman Brady Christensen. The former third-round pick entered the 2023 season as the starting left guard but suffered a season-ending biceps injury during Week 1. Now entering the final year of his contract, the Panthers could trade Brady Christensen to a team looking for help along the offensive line. While he is primarily a guard, the BYU product spent time at tackle in 2021 and could be a smart addition to a team like the New England Patriots or Baltimore Ravens.
Patriots, Ravens, Could Trade For Brady Christensen
The Patriots have yet to name a Week 1 starting quarterback as third-overall pick Drake Maye continues to impress throughout the offseason. Whether it’s Week 1 or later in the season, the rookie will eventually command the huddle, and he’ll need adequate protection to become New England’s long-awaited heir to Tom Brady. The Patriots have a glaring hole at both tackle positions, and a Brady Christensen trade could directly or indirectly fix this issue.
New England paid Mike Onwenu to be their right tackle of the future, but Jerod Mayo and company currently have him locked into the right guard position. Onwenu is better at guard than tackle, but tackle is a far more valuable position. Shifting Owenu to right tackle and inserting Christensen at guard could give New England four starting-caliber linemen with only one weakness at left tackle.
Alternatively, the Patriots could trade for Brady Christensen to be their short-term fix at left. Fourth-round pick Layden Robinson is reportedly making his case for the starting guard position, which could naturally push Onwenu to right tackle. This makes Christensen a perfect choice for the vacant left tackle position and would give New England five starting-caliber players. The Christensen-Sow-Andrews-Robinson-Onwenu offensive line won’t remind anyone of the 1990’s Dallas Cowboys, but they should be good enough to give Drake Maye a fighting chance.
Ravens Depth
The Baltimore Ravens offensive line will look considerably different in 2024. After boasting one of the deepest units in football, the reigning AFC North champions parted ways with both starting guards and right tackle Morgan Moses. In place of those departed veterans, the Ravens are sending out Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele while having Patrick Mekari battle second-round pick Roger Rosengarten for the right tackle job.
All of those players have the potential to be capable starters, but it wouldn’t hurt to trade for Brady Christensen. There is no such thing as too much offensive line depth, especially when there are so many different starters. Fielding the best offensive line isn’t always about finding the right individual players, but the best overall unit. Christensen can fill in all over the line and can step in if one of the untested veterans cannot handle the added pressure of starting.
Main Photo: Jim Dedmon – USA Today Sports
