Panthers’ Fitterer likes making trades before cut deadline: Looking at all the deals

Scott Fitterer likes to be aggressive when it comes to making roster moves ahead of the NFL cut deadline. The third-year Panthers GM is known for his wheeling and dealing ways as the hourglass runs out of sand and the minutes dwindle closer to the league-mandated 53-man limit.
While he has only been in power in Carolina for a short time, Fitterer has put a handful of pre-deadline trades on his resume. Those deals show that Fitterer and the Panthers front office aren’t afraid to make swaps to improve their present situation or future draft hauls. With that outlook in mind, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Fitterer make a deal or two as Tuesday’s cut deadline (4 p.m.) lingers closer.
UPDATE (Tuesday, 7:53 a.m.): And just like that, the Panthers made a trade on Tuesday with the Kansas City Chiefs to acquire receiver/returner Ihmir Smith-Marsette.
Here’s a look back at the summer swaps Fitterer has made during the previous two offseasons at the helm:
2021: Traded a 2022 conditional seventh-round pick to acquire K Ryan Santoso from the New York Giants
The Panthers acquired Santoso just before the team’s third preseason game in order to fortify their kicker situation ahead of the 2021 cut deadline. With a conditional seventh-round pick heading to New York, the move was a low-risk, high reward scenario.
However, the “reward” was short-lived, as Santoso stuck in Charlotte for just one regular-season game. He made both of his field goal attempts but missed one of his two extra point tries in a 19-14 win over the New York Jets. Luckily for Fitterer and the Panthers, the trade didn’t ultimately cost them anything.
Carolina Panthers linebacker Denzel Perryman plays catch with fans along the sideline of Gibbs Stadium in Spartanburg, SC on Saturday, July 31, 2021. The team held their practice at Gibbs Stadium as part of the NFLÕs Training Camp: Back Together Saturday celebrating the return of fans and football.
2021: Traded LB Denzel Perryman and 2022 seventh-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders for a 2022 sixth-round pick
Yikes! This trade turned out to be a really rough deal for the Panthers.
After Perryman wore out his welcome in Carolina, the Panthers decided to ship him off to Las Vegas for a late-round pick swap. Perryman and a seventh-round pick were sent out west, while the Panthers nabbed a sixth-round pick for their troubles.
Perryman went on to make his first Pro Bowl with the Raiders in 2021, as he produced 154 tackles, three pass breakups, and a forced fumble during his first season in Las Vegas. He ultimately spent the past two seasons with the Raiders before signing with the Houston Texans this offseason. The Raiders also used the 2022 seventh-round pick in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings.
The Panthers used the sixth-round pick, acquired from the Raiders, on versatile backup lineman Cade Mays last offseason. Mays was pegged to be the fill-in starting right guard this summer in training camp. However, the team opened up the competition in the preseason, and Mays is likely to remain a backup player for this season.
2021: Traded 2022 sixth-round pick to acquire DE Darryl Johnson from the Buffalo Bills
The Panthers were looking for pass rusher help ahead of the cut deadline in 2021. After making moves with New York and Las Vegas, Fitterer went after a bubble player from the Bills to solve that problem.
The Panthers traded a sixth-round pick to Buffalo for Johnson, a North Carolina A&T grad, to get ahead of the waiver wire. Johnson had a strong preseason in Buffalo that summer, producing eight tackles, 1.5 sacks and a pass breakup in three games. Clearly, the Panthers were impressed with his film.
The deal turned out to be a bust for Carolina, though, as Johnson played in just three games in 2021. He then failed to make the team in 2022 and ended up in Seattle last season. Johnson spent this offseason in San Francisco before being placed on injured reserve. He was ultimately waived earlier this month and is not currently on a roster.
Buffalo used the sixth-round pick to select cornerback Christian Benford, who appeared in nine games last season and produced 24 tackles, five pass breakups and an interception as a rookie.
2022: Traded OT Dennis Daley and a 2024 seventh-round pick to the Tennessee Titans for a 2024 fifth-round pick
Fitterer’s pre-deadline trade prowess seemingly improved last summer. With Daley on his way out of Carolina, Fitterer decided to get some value while he could. He traded Daley and a 2024 seventh-round pick to Tennessee to improve his future draft stock with a 2024 fifth-round pick.
The Panthers haven’t used the selection yet, but it’s a two-round jump for them. That’s better than nothing for a guy that the Panthers were planning to cut. Daley played in all 17 games last season — with 15 starts — but left Tennessee this offseason to sign with the Arizona Cardinals.
2022: Traded a 2023 seventh-round pick and a 2024 sixth-round pick to acquire WR Laviska Shenault from the Jacksonville Jaguars
Looking to improve the Panthers’ playmaking department, Fitterer traded a pair of late-round picks for a former second-round pick ahead of the cut deadline last year. Shenault was sent from Jacksonville to Carolina for a 2023 seventh-round pick and a 2024 sixth-round pick.
Shenault was used as a situational gadget player by then-offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo last season. While his route tree was limited (to be polite), Shenault helped the Panthers earn their first win of last season with a breakaway catch-and-run touchdown against the New Orleans Saints in Week 3. Shenault finished last season with 27 catches for 272 yards and two total touchdowns.
Carolina Panthers wide receiver, Laviska Shenault Jr., runs a play during a Training Camp practice on Saturday, July 29, 2023 at Gibbs Stadium.
This summer, with a new coaching staff in place, Shenault has been used in all kinds of ways in practice. He figures to be a key role player on offense, even as he recovers from a concussion sustained in the final week of the preseason.
The Jaguars used the 2023 seventh-round pick on offensive tackle Cooper Hodges. They’ll use the 2024 sixth-round pick in next year’s draft, barring another trade involving the selection.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Daley was traded to Tennessee with a 2024 fifth-round pick. He was actually traded with a 2024 seventh-round pick. The article has been corrected.