Overall, your Benevolent Dictator is pleased with GM Dan Morgan.
As the Benevolent Dictator of Trade Down Island, the time has come for me to pass judgment on rookie GM Dan Morgan’s performance with draft day trades. Morgan and the Carolina Panthers brain trust made four trades during the draft – twice trading down and twice trading up – incurring both my glorious praise and my even more glorious wrath.
The economy of Trade Down Island runs on four commodities: coconuts, chickens, cows, and accumulating draft capital by smartly trading down. In my recap below I will either reward Dan Morgan by bestowing or punish him by confiscating coconuts (little value), chickens (good value), or cows (major value) for each of the Panthers draft day trades. My rulings are just, true, and shall never be disputed.
Panthers receive: No. 32 (1st round), No. 200 (6th round)
Bills receive: No. 33 (2nd round), No. 141 (5th round)
The first draft day trade of Dan Morgan’s tenure was a trade up, which caused your Benevolent Dictator to snarl and start sharpening his sword.
However, Morgan only moved up one spot (from 33 to 32) which put the Panthers as the last pick in the first round instead of the first pick in the second round. This means Carolina now has a fifth-year option on wide receiver Xavier Legette as a first round pick, which could be valuable based on how he performs. The other factor in Morgan’s favor is he didn’t give up a pick to make the move, rather he moved back 59 spots from the fifth round to the sixth which isn’t a big deal.
Verdict: Neutral. Morgan earns no commodities, nor will any be confiscated.
Rams receive: No. 39 (2nd round)
Panthers receive: 52 (2nd round), No. 155 (5th round), and 2025 second-round pick
Yes! Yes! Yes! This trade greatly pleases your Benevolent Dictator! We shall celebrate with smoked meats, tropical drinks, and many cars honking in the streets!
In all seriousness, this is an absolutely perfect trade down and should be done every year. The quality of players available at No. 39 is only slightly better than those available at No. 52. And if you as a fan trusts the Panthers front office to hit a home run at No. 39, they are about equally likely to do so at No. 52. Getting an extra fifth rounder in this year’s draft, which was later used to trade up, is a decent asset but doesn’t really move the needle.
What is absolutely huge about this trade is getting a 2025 second round pick. I mean, this is massive! Most 2024 NFL Power Rankings have the Los Angeles Rams as the 16th best team in the league, or thereabouts, so the 2025 second round pick the Panthers obtained could turn out to be around No. 48 next year. The fact this trade conveys next year versus this year means absolutely nothing in the long run. Assuming the Rams finish near the middle of the pack in 2024, here’s what this trade really is:
Rams Receive: No. 39 (2nd round)
Panthers receive: No. 48 (2nd round), No. 52 (2nd round), No. 155 (5th round)
This was a brilliant trade for the Panthers. Well done, Dan Morgan. This pleases me. I am pleased.
Verdict: Morgan receives five coconuts, three chickens, and two cows.
Panthers receive: No. 46 (2nd round)
Colts receive: No. 52 (2nd round), No. 142 (early 5th round), No. 155 (5th round)
Just when your Benevolent Dictator thinks he can implicitly trust Dan Morgan’s trade strategy, the Panthers GM immediately goes and makes a foolish trade up. I am once again angrily sharpening my sword.
There’s virtually zero difference between the quality of players available at No. 46 versus No. 52, but the Panthers gave up two fifth round picks…to draft Jonathon Brooks, a running back coming off an ACL tear? Chuba Hubbard had a solid 2023 campaign and an improved offensive line in 2024 should open better holes for him and for former Pro Bowler Miles Sanders. Yes, the Panthers need more weapons around Bryce Young, but they don’t truly need another running back. They need a tight end who can actually catch passes!
If the Panthers had simply stayed at 52 they could have drafted TE Ben Sinnot whom the Washington Commanders selected at No. 53. Washington earned an A+ grade from CBS Sports for drafting Sinnot and elicited this reaction from Chris Trapasso: “Love this pick. Athletic, explosive athlete. Clearly the second-best receiving TE in this class. YAC skill is outstanding. Strong hands. Just not a true burner down the seam. Will be a go-to target for Jayden Daniels.”
Yes, the Panthers ended up using their fourth round pick on tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders, but they got the order backward. Use your second round pick to take a top flight tight end. Use your fourth round pick to get a running back.
Frittering away two fifth rounders to trade up – for a running back! – incurred the wrath of your Benevolent Dictator. Dan Morgan will be punished accordingly.
Verdict: Morgan loses two coconuts, one chicken, and one cow
Jets receive: No. 65 (3rd round)
Panthers receive: No. 72 (3rd round), No. 157 (5th round)
Hmmm…interesting. It looks like Dan Morgan wants to make amends with your Benevolent Dictator. This is an excellent example of smartly trading down. There is virtually zero difference in the caliber of players available at No. 65 vs. No. 72, and gaining an extra fifth round pick is pure upside.
Verdict: Morgan receives one chicken.
The summary
In the end, Dan Morgan left your Benevolent Dictator generally pleased.
The Panthers rookie GM was rewarded with three coconuts, three chickens, and one cow for his draft day trades. Not a bad haul for the leader of Carolina’s front office. The big win was acquiring a 2025 second round pick without giving up much of any value in this year’s draft. Pulling off a trade or two like this every year can make a big difference in long-term roster construction.
Well done, Dan.
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