According to sources, the Carolina Panthers acquired cornerback CJ Henderson from the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday. The also a received a fifth-round pick in the deal. The Panthers traded tight end Dan Arnold and a third-round draft selection.
The Panthers are in desperate need of cornerback help. In Henderson, who was the ninth overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft coming out of the University of Florida, they will be getting a versatile cornerback to help replace rookie Jaycee Horn.
Horn is out indefinitely with multiple fractures, three, in his foot. The injury occurred during the Panthers’ victory over the Houston Texans on Thursday Night Football.
Over 10 career games with the Jaguars, Henderson registered one interception and six pass breakups. He started the first two games of the season for Jacksonville, playing 108 total snaps. Henderson sat out Sunday’s Week 3 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals because of a groin injury and an illness.
It is a win-now move for the Panthers, who are leading their division, the NFC South, at 3-0, one game over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1) and the New Orleans Saints (2-1), heading into Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys.
Carolina signed Arnold to a two-year deal during free agency in an attempt to bolster the tight end unit. He caught only seven receptions for 84 yards so far this season, with no touchdowns.
The decision to part ways from Arnold this quickly tells a lot about what head coach Matt Rhule thinks of 2021 third-round pick Tommy Tremble out of Notre Dame. Rhule recently told the media that Tremble could be this year’s Jeremy Chinn. Chinn was a front-runner for the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award last season, as an outside linebacker/safety.
The Panthers spent the last couple of days searching for Horn’s replacement. They also reached out to Pro Bowl cornerback Richard Sherman’s representative, according to league sources.
Henderson, 22 years of age, gives the Panthers a fresh, new option to look at, with veterans A.J. Bouye and Rashaan Melvin already on the roster. Carolina prefers Bouye at the nicklel position.
With Horn out, Henderson could be plugged in right away as an immediate starter, playing opposite cornerback Donte Jackson.
