Panthers' Brian Burns trade almost didn't happen for a ridiculous reason

Trading Brian Burns was arguably the biggest move the Carolina Panthers made all offseason.

As it turns out, it almost didn't happen over a seventh-round draft pick.

Burns did, of course, get moved for a second-round pick (No. 39 overall, from which Carolina traded up to select Xavier Legette), a fifth-round pick in 2025, and a swap of fifth-rounders this year (No. 144 to Carolina and No. 166 to New York). But the Panthers wanted a little bit more.

Panthers general manager Dan Morgan and Giants general manager Joe Schoen ended up haggling over a seventh-round pick. Morgan ended up caving and not demanding the seventh-round selection be a part of the deal .

"Why do we need to add on a seventh, Dan? You and I are going to be doing this for a long time, hopefully. And we got to have allies. I don't want to throw in a seventh," Schoen said. "Like, I need players, too. We're picking six; you guys would be picking one. Let's just do what we said on the last one. That works out. We met you in the middle with some of your demands."

Burns was supposed to be the outside linebacker and edge rusher to help the Panthers return to the postseason. During Burns' tenure, that never happened. His best season came in 2022. However, amid a contract season in 2023, Burns struggled with injuries and his game lacked the same prowess.

The New York Giants are hoping to rebuild Burns' image. The Panthers are looking to define a defense without him . Maybe it was a move that was a win-win for every side involved – seventh-round pick included or not.

Related: ‘Hard Knocks’ reveals the surprising way Brian Burns trade talks started