The veteran defensive end is reportedly available after a productive season in Philadelphia." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesCat Scratch Reader homepageHorizontal - WhiteCat Scratch Readera Carolina Panthers communityFollow Cat Scratch Reader online:Follow Cat Scratch Reader on TwitterFollow Cat Scratch Reader on FacebookLog in or sign upLog InSign UpSite searchSearchSearchCat Scratch Reader main menuFanpostsFanshotsSectionsAboutPanthersOddsShopStubHubMoreAll 321 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Keep Sounding PodcastPanthers 2019 Training CampCSR Film RoomShould the Panthers trade for defensive end Michael Bennett?New https://www.carolinapanthersfanshop.com/Greg-Little-Jersey ,75commentsThe veteran defensive end is reportedly available after a productive season in Philadelphia. ESTShare this storyShare this on FacebookShare this on TwitterShareAll sharing optionsShareAll sharing options for:Should the Panthers trade for defensive end Michael Bennett?TwitterFacebookRedditPocketFlipboardEmailPhoto by Scott Taetsch/Getty ImagesEd. Note - Please give a warm welcome to our newest contributor, Logan Ulrich! Longtime members and/or readers of CSR may remember him as Flowing Willow. -BSAccording to multiple reports, the Philadelphia Eagles discussed trading defensive end Michael Bennett with multiple teams this week at the NFL Combine.Bennett had a productive season for the Eagles after being acquired from Seattle via a trade in early March.The 33-year-old racked up nine sacks and 15 tackles for loss to go with a pair of forced fumbles in 831 snaps over 16 games, which ranked third for all Philadelphia defensive linemen.His 30 quarterback hits also tied a career high.But with the extension given to defensive end Brandon Graham and young players like Derek Barnett and Josh Sweat waiting in the wings, Bennett could be looking at a reduced role in 2019.He was reportedly unhappy coming off the bench in the first month of the season, and the cap-strapped Eagles could save $7.2 million with no dead money in a trade.A trade might make the most sense for both sides.Enter Carolina.Pass rush is arguably the Panthers’ biggest need, with little else but hopes and prayers at defensive end aside from Mario Addison.Help is almost certainly coming in the draft and the Panthers have made it clear they’re trying to get younger and faster on defense.But Bennett could provide some cushion and not force the team to pin all its hopes on a rookie. From an on-field perspective, Bennett is a perfect fit.According to Pro Football Focus, he was the No. 21 edge rusher in the NFL in 2018 — one spot ahead of the departing Julius Peppers.He brings leadership and the type of edge that the defense sometimes seemed to lack last year.He also has the flexibility to slide inside Brian Burns Jersey , helping the Panthers’ quest to play more multiple fronts on defense in 2019.From an off-field perspective, there has yet to be a resolution to Bennett’s indictment for an alleged assault at Super Bowl LI as his trial continues to be delayed.Bennett has earned a reputation both as one of the more outspoken players in the league as well as one of the most socially active.Under David Tepper, the Panthers have shown themselves more open to these types of players.Bennett might also be the best pass rusher Carolina can realistically acquire.Most of the premium free agent edge rushers will be extended or slapped with the franchise tag by their original teams, and the Panthers might not have the cap space to contend for guys like Trey Flowers or even Dante Fowler.Even if younger, mid-tier pass rushers like Shane Ray, Markus Golden and Za’Darius Smith hit the market, none of them have more than 19 career sacks in four seasons.The Eagles gave a fifth round pick and wide receiver Marcus Johnson to the Seahawks and received Bennett and a seventh rounder in return.Carolina could add Bennett for as little as their sixth round pick.What do you think, Panthers fans? The Los Angeles Rams continue to be box office gold for the NFL.The Rams are off to a 3-0 start after handling the Chargers 35-23 in an all-LA matchup on Sunday.They also are the unanimous top team in the latest AP Pro32 poll .The Rams received all 12 first-place votes and 384 points in balloting Tuesday by media members who regularly cover the NFL.They open Week 4 by hosting the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday night in a matchup of NFC powerhouses.“Jared Goff is looking like a Pro Bowl quarterback under wunderkind coach Sean McVay, and the Rams are looking like a Super Bowl contender after a splendid early season run Luke Kuechly Color Rush Jersey ,” said Newsday’s Bob Glauber.The unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs moved up two spots to No. 2. The Chiefs close out Week 4 with a prime-time matchup at Denver against the Broncos on Monday night.“Patrick Mahomes has been a revelation, but the Chiefs get the second spot behind the Rams because of their porous defense, which is yielding more than 30 points and 474 yards per game,” said Jenny Vrentas of The Monday Morning Quarterback.The Philadelphia Eagles continued to bounce around the top 10 in the poll. The Eagles were No. 2 after the first week of the regular season. They fell to No. 7 after losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but rose to No. 3 after edging the Indianapolis Colts 20-16 in Carson Wentz’s first game since December, when he tore two ligaments in his knee.The Jacksonville Jaguars dropped two places to No. 4 after their field goal-filled 9-6 loss to AFC South rival Tennessee.Led by Drew Brees, the New Orleans jumped 10 spots to No. 5 after topping the Atlanta Falcons 43-37 in overtime.“As Drew Brees closes in on the NFL record book, it appears New Orleans has recovered nicely from that Week 1 stunner vs. Tampa Bay,” said Ira Kaufman of Fox 13 in Tampa, Florida.The Miami Dolphins Ryan Kalil Color Rush Jersey , who are off to a surprising 3-0 start, also made a major move. The AFC East leaders moved up seven places to No. 6. The Dolphins face another big test this week when they travel to Foxborough to face the suddenly slumping Patriots, who have lost two in a row and fell five spots to No. 10.The Patriots have overcome slow starts before and still reached the Super Bowl, and they now have three consecutive home games to try to make up ground in the division.Another team making a big climb was the Carolina Panthers, who jumped five spots to No. 7 after defeating Cincinnati 31-21.“Found a running game,” Fox Sports’ John Czarnecki said of the Panthers, who finished with 230 rushing yards in the victory. Christian McCaffrey led the way with a career-high 184 yards.The Vikings went in the opposite direction as they dropped five spots to No. 8 after getting routed at home by Buffalo 27-6.And the Baltimore Ravens regained their footing as they climbed seven spots to No. 9 after handling the Broncos 27-14.The Ravens have a key game in Week 4 as they head to Pittsburgh on Sunday night to face the Steelers in one of the NFL’s fiercest rivalries.<div class=”stanzacal” data-width=”100%” data-height=”250px” ></div> <script src=”https://dff2h0hbfv6w4.cloudfront.net/scr...stanzacal-v1.js” type=”text/javascript”></script>