| Murphy's making his way to Carolina via trade. (US Presswire) |
It appears that, for the second time this offseason, the Raiders and Panthers have made a swap, with Oakland trading wide receiver Louis Murphy to Carolina. Both teams have announced the trade, but neither one has disclosed what draft pick was given in exchange for Murphy.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, that pick is a seventh-round conditional selection.
Earlier this offseason, the Raiders sent lineman Bruce Campbell to the Panthers in exchange for Mike Goodson. Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports reported the latest deal, but did not include compensation being returned to the Raiders.
This time around, the expectation is that Oakland will likely receive a draft pick. According to Henry Wofford of CSNBayArea.com, Murphy was "not happy with the Raiders [and] wanted out" of Oakland.
Murphy was also staring up a deep depth chart at wide receiver, as Darrius Heyward-Bay, Denarius Moore and Jacoby Ford have all emerged as viable weapons. The addition of talented rookies Juron Criner and Rod Streeter helped to make Murphy expendable.
Murphy was taken in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft out of Florida, and in three seasons with the Raiders, he caught 90 balls for 1,371 yards and six touchdowns. He started just one game in 2011, catching 15 passes for 241 yards and zero touchdowns.
In Carolina, Murphy won't be expected to start, but he's a dangerous vertical threat who gives the Panthers needed depth at wide receiver, especially if David Gettis struggles to recover from a torn ACL that cost him last season.
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