While the news may have developed a bit quicker than many anticipated, we should have seen a Robbie Anderson trade coming. Pretty much as soon as they could complete a deal, the Carolina Panthers announced they have traded disgruntled wide receiver Robbie Anderson to the Arizona Cardinals.
To complete the trade, the Cardinals are sending the Panthers a sixth-round pick in 2024 in addition to a seventh-round pick in 2025.
The trade comes after a sideline spat with receivers coach Joe Dailey, which ultimately sent Anderson back to the locker room during Carolina’s Week 6 24-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams,
Anderson was pulled from the game on a critical third down play. After the game, Anderson was asked about the exchange, to which he expressed his frustration with the team.
“I don’t think I should be OK with that, you know what I’m saying? It’s the money down, why am I being taken out? And that’s that,” Anderson said.
“I want to be in the game. I’ve never been told in X amount of years to get out the game in the fourth quarter. So I was honestly confused and upset by it — as I should be,” he said. “I don’t see anybody that’s a true competitor, that knows the value they bring, and has true passion toward the game, that will be OK with being told not to do something or being taken out of something when they didn’t do anything wrong,” said Anderson.
Just a day later, Anderson has been traded away from the team, where he’ll no longer be a problem.
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Evaluating the Robbie Anderson trade for Arizona Cardinals
After yesterday’s showing, the Panthers are thrilled to get rid of Anderson and the remainder of his $700K cap hit in 2022, as well as the $9.7 million owed to the 29-year-old receiver in 2023, none of which is guaranteed. But just what can the Cardinals expect to get out of their newest arrival?
- Robbie Anderson stats (2022): 13 receptions, 206 yards, 1 TD, 48.1% catch rate, 1 drop
Never quite thrilled with his QB situation in Carolina, now Anderson has to learn a new offense led by Kliff Kingsbury, where he’s set to catch passes from Kyler Murray. It’s certainly an upgrade over Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield. Ranked 22nd, Arizona’s lacked a scoring punch this season but are set to get DeAndre Hopkins back from suspension here in Week 7.
With Hopkins, Anderson, and Zach Ertz as the leading pass-catchers in Arizona, Murray now has one more target to spread the ball to. Rondale Moore also remains, but he has just 128 receiving yards this season on 16 receptions.
Shortly after the trade was announced, Adam Schefter revealed offseason acquisition Marquise Brown has a potentially season-ending foot injury, opening up a few targets for Anderson. Brown had been the team’s leading receiver, hauling in 43 of 64 targets for 485 yards and three touchdowns this season.
While he’s far from a No. 1 option, the 6-foot-3 receiver has done just fine in a complementary role in the past, topping out with 1,096 receiving yards in 2020. But Anderson’s production has tailed off as the Panthers have gotten poor play out of their quarterbacks in the past two seasons.
Anderson has previous experience playing for Cardinals receivers coach Shawn Jefferson from their days with the New York Jets. With at least some familiarity with one another, it should help Anderson get on the same page in his new atmosphere, but chances are, he’s just happy to no longer be playing for the 1-5 Panthers.
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