There had been talk of the Panthers trading down, but trading up shouldn't surprise anyone. GM Marty Hurney had suggested that the extra picks he got from the Kris Jenkins trade would give Carolina some flexibility. Clearly, they used it to get the extra tackle they needed in Jeff Otah, who, along with Jonathan Stewart, fits in with John Fox's power-rushing philosophy.Still, Carolina had to give a lot to the Philadelphia Eagles get Otah -- their 2nd-round pick and 4th-round pick this year, plus their 1st-round pick next year. If Jeff Otah really worth two 1st-round picks?
I suppose we'll find out soon enough, but it's clear that Fox wants to use this draft to get back to basics -- specifically, the basics that helped him get to the Super Bowl. Less than one round into this draft, he's got a big beefy power runner and a big beefy tackle to block for him. Perhaps the only question now is whether Jordan Gross moves to left tackle to accomodate Otah. Either way, though, the Panthers have a lot more options on their offensive line than they did before.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. This is a good move on the Panthers' part, but demonstrates how desperate the Panthers brass is to win. Regarding the trade, the Panthers are essentially trading first round picks with Philly: Philly's 2008 for the Panthers' 2009. The Panthers are giving up 2008's second and fourth round picks for this convenience. I don't see that as giving up two first round picks for Otah. I do agree with the thinking begind your point, David; they could have selected Otah with the 13th pick and probably traded up in the second round and picked up Stewart. Anyway, it's a done deal; let's hope it pays some dividends.
Posted at 6:06PM on Apr 26th 2008 by Harrison