The New York Giants have been making loud noises of late in the offseason. Apart from letting Saquon Barkley go, they also made a trade for Carolina Panthers pass rusher Brian Burns. With that said, it's a good time to review the trade and dole out grades for both sides in this highly intriguing transaction.
Panthers grade for trading Brian Burns
First off, let's just get this one out of the way: losing Burns is a big blow for the Panthers. Burns was among the most consistent performers of the team during an utterly bad 2023 campaign. He was a silver lining for the franchise, which finished the 2023 season with just two wins.
In return for trading Burns to New York, the Panthers got a second-rounder in the 2024 NFL Draft and a fifth-rounder in 2025. Who knows what kind of players those picks would get the Panthers? The 2024 pick may not become an immediate impact player for the Panthers in the coming season and that fifth-rounder is going to be a fifth-rounder for a reason. Having said that, those are still assets for the Panthers, who are trying to rebuild.
The Panthers could have at least gotten a higher pick from the Giants, which they did not, making Burns' loss harder to accept for Carolina's fans. Even worse, the Los Angeles Rams were willing to part ways with two first-round picks in 2022 for Burns. Ouch.
Panthers trade grade: C
Giants grade for acquiring Brian Burns
Only a few things went right for the Giants in 2023. They had one of the worst offenses that season — and also had one of the most horrid defenses. The trade for Burns is definitely an upgrade for New York's stop unit that truly needed someone like him after a season in which it ranked 30th in the league in defensive sack rate (5.25%) and 27th in total defense with 361.7 total yards surrendered per outing.
Now, the Giants will be parading a scary triumvirate featuring Burns, defensive end Kavon Thibodeaux, and defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. Burns had 8.0 sacks in 2023, while Thibodeau and Lawrence had 11.5 and 4.5, respectively. That's not good to hear for NFC East quarterbacks.
Giants trade grade: A
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