It was a quiet trade deadline as expected for the Carolina Panthers. Some fans were clamoring for general manager Dan Morgan to be a little more aggressive than usual, but he saw the situation for what it was.
The Panthers are ascending; that's not up for discussion. At the same time, they are not one bold move away from being classed as a legitimate Super Bowl challenger.
Morgan has a long-term strategy to get the Panthers into this realm. He also values draft picks highly, which is the most traditional and effective way to build a championship-caliber squad.