Aug 23, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive end Carl Granderson (96) reacts to a play against the Denver Broncos during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Bitter rival has major upgrade Carolina Panthers need to trade for

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Russell Baxter | Last updated Oct 16, 2025 4:00 PM ET

Recently, Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA Today mentioned 25 trade candidates around the league. When it came to the defensive side of the ball, one of his choices was steady New Orleans Saints’ veteran Carl Granderson. Kellen Moore’s club is off to a 1-5 start and still hasn’t played any of its NFC South rivals.

“He’s one of the few legitimate building blocks on a Saints roster starved for talent,” said Middlehurst-Schwartz. “Still, with several of the league's top teams standing to benefit greatly from a boost on the edge, his greatest value to New Orleans might be in helping kick-start the rebuild with what he could return in a trade. Granderson has 4.5 sacks for an underwhelming defense, and his work as a run-stopper should make him an attractive option for defenses demanding a well-rounded threat along the front.”

The former undrafted free agent has spent seven seasons in the Big Easy, totaling 33.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, and a pair of fumble recoveries. This season, he’s tied for fourth on the club with 27 stops, and the aforementioned 4.5 sacks leads the team.

Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Incredibly, Granderson has nearly as many quarterback traps as the entire Panthers’ team (5). Carolina general manager Dan Morgan did his due diligence this offseason when it came to addressing one of the league’s worst pass rushes, but it hasn’t happened to date.

There will be plenty of names floated out there over the next few weeks when it comes to trade options. The NFL deadline is 4:00 pm ET on Tuesday, November 4. The Panthers have won two straight games and sit at 3-3, one of a dozen teams in the NFC at .500 or better. Ejiro Evero’s defense is looking better these days, but they need to find a way to get some heat on opposing quarterbacks sooner than later.

This article first appeared on Carolina Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: