One of the grimier aspects of NFL deal making is that smart teams and smart executives routinely take advantage of dumb teams and dumb executives.
In the NFL, there’s not a smarter executive than Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman. And there’s not a dumber team than the Carolina Panthers.
That might be the opening for Roseman to offload one of his rare personnel mistakes in recent years in a proposed trade that sends edge rusher Bryce Huff to the Panthers in a fairly simple move. In exchange for Huff, the Eagles should ask for one of Carolina’s 3 fifth round picks in the 2025 NFL draft — doesn’t really matter which one.
The Eagles signed Huff to a 3-year, $51.1 million free agent contract with $34 million guaranteed in March 2024 and watched him become a non-factor on their Super Bowl-winning team. Carolina is in desperate need of another edge rusher to play opposite 32-year-old Jadeveon Clowney.
Pro Football Focus listed edge rusher as the Panthers’ biggest need following the 2025 free agency cycle.
“The Panthers still haven’t figured out how to replace edge defender Brian Burns,” PFF’s Max Chadwick wrote on March 17. “While Jadeveon Clowney is a solid starting option, the team desperately needs to address the spot opposite him. Pat Jones II, D.J. Wonnum and DJ Johnson weren’t even among the 90 highest-graded edge rushers a season ago.”
Eagles Called Out for ‘Regrettable Mistake’ With Huff
Huff’s contract made the list of Bleacher Report’s “Most Regrettable Mistakes” made by NFL teams in 2024 after Huff struggled with production and injuries.
“The Philadelphia Eagles may have buyer’s remorse regarding their three-year, $51.1 million pact with Bryce Huff,” Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton wrote on December 30. “Last year, the defensive end recorded career highs in sacks and pressures with the New York Jets. He earned a massive pay raise but hasn’t elevated or even maintained his level of performance in Philadelphia. Huff opened the season as a starter in Vic Fangio’s defense, but he’s played in a limited role.”
Huff missed 5 games in the middle of the season after undergoing wrist surgery and finished the regular season with 2.5 sacks after a career high 10.0 sacks with the Jets in 2023.
Panthers Staring Down Another Miserable Season
Carolina hasn’t had a winning season or made the playoffs since 2017 and is also responsible for what could be one of the NFL’s worst trades in recent memory.
Two years ago, the Panthers sent a 2023 first round pick, 2023 second round pick, 2024 first round pick, 2025 second round pick and star wide receiver D.J. Moore to the Chicago Bears in exchange for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, where they took Alabama quarterback Bryce Young.
Young is 6-22 as a starter through his first 2 seasons. The No. 2 overall pick in that same draft, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, has led his team to back-to-back playoff appearances in his first 2 seasons and was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023.
ESPN Bet has the Panthers projected with an over/under win total of 6.5 wins in 2025 — just slightly up from their 5-12 record in 2024.
