D.J. Moore was the centerpiece of the trade package that convinced the Chicago Bears to send the #1 pick to the Carolina Panthers. That organization needed a quarterback. The only way they could be assured the one they wanted was to get the top spot. GM Ryan Poles was open to a deal, but only if a proven veteran player was included. He gave Panthers GM Scott Fitterer a list of three names he’d be willing to accept. Fitterer chose Moore. The deal came together shortly after that.
One thing was clear. While the Panthers brass was committed to the decision, they weren’t happy about it. Moore found that out when they gave him the news. He told Adam Schefter on his podcast that he was in the middle of moving things between houses when his phone rang. Fitterer’s first line says it all.
“I was getting packages from my house to take to my other house because I was in the process of moving,” Moore said. “I’m like ‘Ah, it’s a normal day.’ I get a call going down my driveway and it’s Scott [Fitterer]. I answer and he was like ‘Man, I’m sorry. But this is the only way a deal would’ve gone through.’ Then I talked to the owners.
“After that, it was Chicago Bears blowing my phone up back-to-back-to-back.”
It’s pretty clear Carolina preferred not to trade Moore.
That is hardly a surprise. He was their best offensive weapon by miles last season and the best receiver they’ve had since Steve Smith. Letting him go after all he’d done to keep their offense relevant through some crummy quarterback years was a tough pill to swallow. For his part, Moore was stunned by the news.
“Man, I was not even expected to be traded. I never thought about being in a trade. So it was like a real shock to me. I was, like, ‘Whoa.’ It hit me so fast.”
D.J. Moore is prepared for the next chapter.
Nobody can ever say he dogged it during his time in Carolina. Despite some lean years, he always showed up and played his hardest every Sunday. That is a big reason Poles wanted him. He seeks resilient players. They fight through adversity. If you add enough players with that mentality to a roster, your chances of winning a championship are good. Moore is 26 with three years left on his current contract. He and Justin Fields have plenty of time to forge a strong connection.
Subscribe to the BFR podcast and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
This is a good window into the reality of blockbuster trades. Just because a team sends a player elsewhere doesn’t mean they wanted that player gone. There are many instances of the organization feeling they had no choice. It was done for the purpose of a greater cause. It was a costly sacrifice for the Panthers in their pursuit of a franchise quarterback. D.J. Moore has nothing to feel bad about. He gave Carolina everything he had, and they knew it. He plans to do the same in Chicago.
PS, it was the two d-line he asked for first, it has been out for a bit, i guess author didn’t see those articles to cut and paste
i find it amusing how the same author indicts himself, read prior that dj moore was the key, absolutely was his target, now its, well, he was probably the third ask. which is what i have read before, so again, if moore really wasn’t the guy you wanted, then timing of the deal and failure to maximize draft capitol appears more credible.
It shows the human side of things. He was literally moving into a new house he’s not going to be able to live in full time now. And who knows? Maybe he does well in Chicago and eventually signs an extention and makes Chicago his permanent home. A football player’s personal life is pretty chaotic and a lot of different things play into it.
Maybe Ikem Ekwonu was one of the trades
Wesley: my best guess?
Brian Burns & Jaycee Horn