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The Carolina Panthers are at a crossroads in this 2021-2022 NFL season.
The league is one game away from reaching the quarter mark of the season (four games) and the Panthers are making moves to bolster their roster in the wake of a recent injury to rookie cornerback Jaycee Horn.
In last week's Thursday Night Football game, the Carolina Panthers faced off against the Houston Texans. During the Panthers' 24-9 victory, they suffered a huge loss in the secondary. Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn suffered multiple foot fractures and will be out for a long time.
To replace Horn, the Panthers have just traded for the Jacksonville Jaguars' starting cornerback, C.J. Henderson. The Panthers also reportedly received a fifth-round draft pick in the trade. The Jaguars will receive pass-catching tight end Dan Arnold and a third-round pick.
The trade was a positive for both teams as the Jaguars were in need of a productive tight end to help rookie quarterback and first pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Trevor Lawrence.
With the arrival of C.J. Henderson, a second-year top pick from the 2020 NFL Draft, here's a look at three reasons why this is the perfect trade for the Carolina Panthers.
3 reasons why C.J. Henderson is perfect for the Carolina Panthers
#1 - Immediate help at a needed position
With the loss of Jaycee Horn, the Panthers were in dire need of help. His loss, coupled with the loss of nickel cornerback Myles Hartsfield, who injured his wrist after the opening day victory vs the New York Jets, put a strain on the Panthers' secondary.
The Panthers will also get a boost from the return of cornerback A.J. Bouye, who's yet to play a down for the Panthers because he's serving a six-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy. The suspension began at the end of last season when Bouye was a member of the Denver Broncos.
#2 - The NFC South's opposing quarterbacks
The Panthers have some rather elite quarterbacks as opposition in the NFC South.
Tom Brady, Matt Ryan and Jameis Winston, with the Buccaneers, Falcons and Saints respectively, have each made their mark in the league (some more than others).
With the weapons at each of those quarterbacks' disposal (Mike Evans, Calvin Ridley, D.J. Moore, and a host of others), the Panthers' trade for a fast, young cornerback such as Henderson is bang on the money.
#3 - The Panthers now have a young, budding secondary to grow with
Once Jaycee Horn is healthy, he will team up with C.J. Henderson and budding second-year safety Jeremy Chinn, who emerged as a star last year as a rookie in the Panthers secondary.
The addition of the talented C.J. Henderson not only fills a missing void, but also helps build a future for a Panthers defense that currently tops the league in multiple statistics.
