We’ve reached roster cutdown day in the NFL, as teams scramble to get their rosters down to the 53-man limit by this evening. A number of high-profile players are getting cut, and some under-the-radar moves will be made as teams look to juggle their rosters to put their best team together. In addition to players getting cut, a number of trades will be explored – if not executed – as teams look to circumvent the waiver process and add players outright.
The Carolina Panthers are one of those teams who could be looking to add some players through the waiver wire or by making a trade. One of their biggest areas of need is help at cornerback. That need became even more evident when starting cornerback Dane Jackson went down with a hamstring injury.
The Chicago Bears have a deep secondary, and one of their preseason standouts, Reddy Steward, could be on the outside looking in to make their opening-day roster. Should the two sides be working on a deal to send Steward to the Panthers? Alex Kay, NFL analyst for Bleacher Report, thinks so.
Steward, an undrafted free agent out of Troy, would have a much easier time sticking on the roster in Carolina with the current state of their defensive backs. He showed this preseason – albeit against second- and third-team players – that he has the skills to play at this level, if he gets the reps he needs to continue his development. That’s not likely to happen for him in Chicago, but he could be a good piece of the puzzle with the Panthers.
Steward likely wouldn’t challenge for a starting spot – the Panthers aren’t in such dire straits quite yet – but Steward could potentially add value to the team as a depth piece behind starters Jaycee Horn and Michael Jackson, or challenge to take over the nickel cornerback role.
Despite Steward’s two-interception performance against the Kansas City Chiefs in the Bears’ final preseason game, he shouldn’t command too high a price on the trade market. It’s likely that a late Day 3 pick gets a deal done. A small price to pay for a player who could potentially make a good contribution to the team.