Carolina Panthers' stunning trade proposal lands DPOY candidate

The Carolina Panthers have certainly worked hard to improve their historically bad defense this offseason, but it's clear that the unit could still stand to get better.

Unfortunately, there isn't really much the Panthers can do at this point, as the free-agent market has dried up and the NFL draft has already concluded. But could Carolina actually swing a blockbuster trade that would shake up the league landscape?

Bleacher Report's Mitch Milani thinks so, proposing that the Panthers complete a massive deal to pry defensive end Trey Hendrickson away from the Cincinnati Bengals.

Milani has Carolina sending a third-round draft pick and edge rusher D.J. Wonnum to the Bengals in exchange for Hendrickson, who appears to be fed up with Cincinnati's delay in handing him a contract extension.

Hendrickson finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting this past season has posted back-to-back 17.5-sack campaigns, which would be much needed for a Panthers squad that finished toward the bottom of the NFL with 32 sacks in 2024.

But would the Bengals actually bite on this offer? A third-round selection and Wonnum is a very light package for Hendrickson, even if he is 30 years old and headed into the final year of his deal. You would think Cincinnati would at least want to recoup a second-rounder in return, and probably more.

It's also important to note that Carolina selected edge rushers Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen in the draft, so the Panthers may not be overly eager to part with substantial draft capital for an aging player who may or may not be willing to re-sign with them.

Carolina will almost certainly check in on Hendrickson, but unless the Bengals are open to accepting a rather skimpy return, this probably isn't happening.