Tweaks to offense might help, but Panthers still need to trade for a No. 1 WR

The Carolina Panthers simplifying their offense for rookie quarterback Bryce Young won't matter unless they trade for a bona fide No. 1 wide receiver.

On a Thursday episode of NFL Network's "The Insiders," Ian Rapoport said the Panthers plan to "simplify things and cut down verbiage" for the first overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft to combat his struggles. This season, Young is 0-4 as a starter and has posted a below-average 28.6 QBR, last in the NFL.

While that's a good idea, it fails to address a thin receiving corps that has struggled to pick up the slack since the organization traded WR D.J. Moore to the Chicago Bears. Carolina ranks 18th in the NFL in receiving yards (1,111). 

Former Pro Bowler Adam Thielen has emerged as the team's top pass-catcher this season with 38 receptions for 394 yards and three TDs. However, the 33-year-old isn't viewed as someone who can serve as a team's top target.

"We knew [Thielen] wasn't good enough to be a No. 1 receiver when he was in Minnesota," Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus said Thursday on "The Rich Eisen Show." "Thielen has actually done a pretty good job, but when he's your No. 1 target, you have, by definition, a lack of viable receivers to work with." 

Bill Barnwell of ESPN suggested the Panthers should trade WR Terrace Marshall and a 2024 second-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals for WR Marquise Brown and a 2024 third-rounder. The team should consider this since Brown is 26 years old and possesses big-play ability.