The 2-6 Carolina Panthers didn't gut the core of their roster at the trade deadline, electing to hang onto young talent for the next phase of the rebuild.
One key member of that group was Brian Burns, the subject of trade rumors as other clubs attempted to pry him from Carolina. The 24-year-old could be on a contender now, but he's happy to be a Panther still.
"I wasn't too much looking for it," Burns said Thursday of the trade deadline rumors, via the team's official website. "I wasn't looking for it at all, you feel me? I want to stay, so I wasn't looking for it.
"I want to stay with my guys; I love Charlotte. It would break my heart to leave my defense. We've been so close, and I feel like we've got something special on defense for sure."
Given what the Denver Broncos got in return for Bradley Chubb, it was possible Carolina could have netted a big return for a Pro Bowl star like Burns. Instead, GM Scott Fitterer kept his core together.
The Panthers traded Christian McCaffrey on a big salary, but stood firm with their other talent in the building at the deadline. The decision not to gut the roster is a good sign for the next head coach.
Burns, defensive tackle Derrick Brown and cornerback Jaycee Horn provide the Panthers building blocks on defense. Not shedding assets suggests Fitterer and the front office believe they can quickly turn things around.
"I think it says that they see a lot of, I would say, potential, but we've also done a lot of things together, and this is a strong core," Burns said. "And they believe in this core for the future. So I would say they believe in us and want to keep us together because we can do some great things together."
