CHARLOTTE – The Panthers want to build a stable, long-term foundation, and sometimes that means making tough decisions.
According to multiple published reports, including the NFL Network, the team negotiated Pass rusher Brian Burns to the New York Giants on Monday for two draft picks, including this year's second-rounder and a 2025 fifth-rounder.
The agreement cannot be officially closed until Wednesday at 4:00 p.m., at the start of the new league year.
The team had placed the franchise tag on Burns earlier this month and discussed a possible contract extension with his representatives at the combine. But that did not lead to a deal, dating back to last summer's efforts to secure it for the long term.
With the addition of the Giants' picks, the Panthers now have seven overall picks in this year's draft, including the 33rd and 39th overall picks in a draft filled with several positions of need.
They also add another $24 million in cap space when Burns' tag value comes out of the equation, which will be helpful in adding defensive reinforcements. Also on Monday there were reports that linebacker Frankie Luvu reached a deal with Washington.
Burns, the team's first-round pick in 2019, had 46.0 sacks in five seasons and went to two Pro Bowls.
