AP
The Panthers and Bills have made a number of deals, which is expected since the General Managers used to work together.
But nothing about this one was #asexpected.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Panthers have traded wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin to the Bills for a third- and a seventh-round pick.
It’s not that Benjamin hasn’t been productive, it’s that the Panthers don’t have very many options in the passing game. Without him, they’ll lean on Devin Funchess and a group of younger, smaller players. Then again, interim General Manager Marty Hurney doesn’t have the same fascination with size that his predecessor (Dave Gettleman) did, so getting faster might help.
The Panthers had previously picked up the 2018 option on the former first-rounder’s contract, which will be worth around $8.5 million.
The Bills were equally short on targets, after trading Sammy Watkins earlier in the year and watching Anquan Boldin retire on them. And with Bills G.M. Brandon Beane knowing his personnel (he was Hurney and Gettleman’s former assistant), it makes sense.
The two teams have already passed wide receiver Kaelin Clay back and forth, and several former Panthers have made their way north with Beane and coach Sean McDermott.