The Denver Broncos are trying to trade wide receiver Tim Patrick, but a recent report indicates they’re also looking to move on from cornerback Damarri Mathis. A fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh product had a promising rookie season under then-head coach Nathaniel Hackett. Appearing in 16 games while making 11 starters, Mathis finished his inaugural season with seven passes defended, 65 tackles, and a 65.6 PFF grade, the 51st-best mark out of 118 eligible players.
Unfortunately, the wheels fell off the wagon under current head coach Sean Payton. Mathis was one of the league’s least efficient cornerbacks in 2023, as he ended the season with a 135.9 passer rating when targeted and a 35.2 PFF grade, the second-worst mark in the league. Damarri Mathis is not a fit for Payton’s scheme, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Denver has received trade calls for the cornerbacks. While Fowler’s report doesn’t name any specific teams, the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs both have needs at the position.
Panthers, Chiefs Could Trade For Damarri Mathis
The Carolina Panthers came this close to landing free agent cornerback Stephon Gilmore a few months back. Unfortunately, the two sides couldn’t make the money work, and the former Defensive Player of the Year is currently with the Minnesota Vikings. This leaves Carolina with a glaring weakness at the cornerback position, and no clear way to fix it. Jaycee Horn is great when he’s healthy, but the rest of the depth chart could use some help. With no other sure things on the open market, the Panthers could trade for Damarri Mathis and see if a change of scenery can bring out his rookie form.
Despite adding players like wide receiver Diontae Johnson, guard Robert Hunt, and first-round pick Xavier Legette, Carolina will probably need to win games with the defense in 2024. A Damarri Mathis trade could help here, and adding a 25-year-old player like Mathis makes plenty of sense for the rebuilding Panthers. Maybe his rookie season was just a fluke, but he shouldn’t cost more than a late-round pick swap. Considering the low price, Carolina can afford to take a gamble on a player who looked like an NFL contributor as recently as 2022.
Additional Cornerback Depth
Would the Denver Broncos trade Damarri Mathis to the best team in their division? They probably wouldn’t want to, but they will if the Chiefs are the highest bidder. Denver knows they can’t compete in 2024, so they must look for the best deal possible. The Chiefs don’t win the Super Bowl last year without their elite cornerback duo of Trent McDuffie and L’Jarius Sneed. Unfortunately, the team traded Sneed to the Tennessee Titans and never found a proper replacement. Joshua Williams will handle starting duties, but this team should look for additional depth.
The Chiefs will have one of the league’s best offenses once again, which means opposing teams will throw early and often to try and keep up with the high-flying attack. Chances are, Kansas City will spend quite a bit of time in nickel and dime defenses, which means Damarri Mathis should see plenty of playing time if the Chiefs trade for him. There is no such thing as too many good quarterbacks, especially when you share a conference with Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert, and Joe Burrow.
Main Photo: Isaiah J. Downing – USA Today Sports
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