According to sources, the Carolina Panthers are trading linebacker Denzel Perryman to the Las Vegas Raiders. Included in the trade are two 2022 draft selections. The Panthers are sending a seventh-round pick to the Raiders as part of the trade and getting back a sixth-round pick. Here are some reasons that could have played a part in Carolina’s trading of Perryman.
1. Perryman’s take on vaccine – Even though it is a personal choice to get vaccinated, it is a disadvantage to your team if you have players who do not, especially with the new NFL policy.
Perryman stated his stance on the vaccine early in training camp. “I’ve got nothing against it, I’m just not doing it”. Coach Matt Rhule emphasized the importance of the vaccine, so that left Perryman in the minority of the players on the team. His status on this issue probably came up in the trade talks.
2. Carter’s development as MLB1 – Another reason Perryman was expendable could have been the progress made by Jermaine Carter. Carter, the former fifth-round pick, started off on the outside with Perryman as the middle linebacker, but that soon changed.
Carter moved to the inside linebacker position and excelled. Coach Rhule made Carter the Panthers Week 1 starter on Tuesday. Perryman was traded less than a day later. Perryman’s reaction to the choice is not really known, but he most likely did not take the news well and was expecting more from the organization.
This is a great and deserving opportunity for Carter. He had to bide his time and overcome a disagreement with coach Rhule to get to this point.
3. Availability due to injuries – Before joining the Panthers, Perryman had a long injury history. It did not take long for the issues to come up in Carolina.
Perryman’s time on the field was limited in training camp due to a soft tissue problem. He also was out part of this week because his foot was stepped on by a teammate during a drill, once again limiting his availability.
The Panthers probably realized that Perryman would not be able to stay healthy through the 17-game season. He has missed 27 games in his six-year career.
4. Perryman, Panther mesh – Would Perryman have fit into the Panther culture? If the Panthers thought Perryman could help them in any way, they would have most likely kept him on the team. Instead, they traded him for little or nothing and added $2 million of dead-cap money to their total over the next two seasons.
The roster is pulling together as a team and do not want anything to upset the rhythm. Perryman seemed like he would be a good veteran presence to go along with the young guys, but sometimes organizations and players go in different directions. One thing that is different about this regime is they are not afraid to make changes when needed. It is a great way to build a competitive team.
