The Baltimore Ravens and Carolina Panthers could not be further apart in their quest for the Lombardi Trophy. While both teams fell short of their ultimate goal, the Ravens finished the season with the best record in the NFL and made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game. The Panthers, meanwhile, bottomed out and finished with the worst record in the league. Carolina needs draft picks and the Ravens need one or two pieces to finally take down the Kansas City Chiefs. So, with that in mind, the fine folks at Bleacher Report recently proposed a trade for star pass rusher Brian Burns.
This isn’t the first time Brian Burns has come up as a potential trade target, and Carolina has turned down every opportunity to deal him in the past. The Los Angeles Rams were reportedly willing to give up two first-round picks for the pass rusher back at the 2022 trade deadline, but the Panthers rejected the offer. Additionally, Carolina decided to include wide receiver D.J. Moore over Burns when trading for the first-overall pick. It’s clear that, at one point in time, this team believed Burns was an untouchable foundational piece for this rebuild.
However, seeing as Brian Burns is set to hit unrestricted free agency, perhaps the team has changed their mind about a potential trade. Carolina will probably use the franchise tag to keep Burns in town, but if contract talks stall, then they’ll have to trade him for whatever they can get. Even though Burns is coming off a relatively down year, the team should be able to get a strong return for his services.
Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers Could Agree to Blockbuster Brian Burns Trade
If a Brian Burns trade is going to go down, then it needs to make sense for both sides. The Carolina Panthers need as much young talent as possible to support Bryce Young, while the Ravens need to go all-in on their current championship window. With that in mind, Bleacher Report proposed the following deal.
Hypothetical Trade We’d Love to See: EDGE Brian Burns for 2024 first-round pick, 2025 third-round pick and EDGE David Ojabo
Ballentine’s proposed tag-and-trade with Baltimore would actually be a tremendous deal for both teams. The Ravens would get a more proven pass-rusher than Devid Ojabo, while Carolina would refill its draft cache.
From the outside looking in, this trade makes plenty of sense for both sides, assuming Carolina cannot come to terms on a long-term deal with Brian Burns. The Panthers need to see Bryce Young improve in 2024, and the best way to do that is by adding young talent on the offensive side of the ball. Unfortunately, they can’t do that, seeing as they don’t have their first-round pick. The Ravens first-round pick isn’t nearly as valuable as Carolina’s, but they should be able to find a player who can make an immediate impact at the back of the first round. A wide receiver like Oregon’s Troy Franklin or Georgia’s Ladd McConkey is exactly what this team needs, and there is a chance Carolina could double-dip at the position with their second-round pick.
David Ojabo is a low-risk, high-reward bonus for the Panthers. Originally viewed as a first-round talent, the Ravens selected him in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft after an Achilles injury caused his draft stock to plummet. He’s only played five games in his professional career, so there is a chance that he never finds the burst that made him so unstoppable in college. However, if he can get back on the field and stay healthy, the trade candidate has the potential to be an above-average pass rusher and slide right into the Brian Burns role.
Main Photo: Bob Donnan – USA Today Sports
