The Carolina Panthers placed the franchise tag on Brian Burns on Tuesday afternoon, according to widespread national reports. Previous reports had indicated the Panthers broke off contract discussions with Burns.
If Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles was hoping to pursue Burns in free agency, he'll now need to come up with an alternative solution.
The Bears could technically still acquire Burns through trade, but it's highly unlikely. The Panthers utilized the non-exclusive tag on Burns, meaning he's free to negotiate an offer sheet with a competing franchise like the Bears. If the Panthers decided against the opportunity to match the proposed contract, they would receive two first-round selections in exchange for Burns.
After parting with draft capital to acquire Montez Sweat, the Bears aren't in a position to trade multiple picks, even for a talented game-changer like Burns. Furthermore, the Bears traded a draft pick for offensive linemen Ryan Bates on Monday, and are now left with just a small handful of selections in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Poles could still target another high-cost EDGE defender like Danielle Hunter if his intention was to spend big-time money on Burns. We've also identified A.J. Epenesa is a likely target in free agency due to his existing relationship with new defensive coordinator Eric Washington.
As of now, other potential targets could also include Bryce Huff, Jonathan Greenard, and former Bear Leonard Floyd, among others.
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