CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina Panthers general manager Marty Hurney revealed Thursday that his team could be interested in moving down in next week's NFL draft.
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"You want to make sure that if you're sitting at No. 9, there is a player you're comfortable with if you decide to use the pick," Hurney said.
The Panthers don't have the ammunition to trade up after dealing this year's third-round pick to the Chicago Bears for tight end Greg Olsen last July.
"It would cost more than we would be willing to do at this point, especially given our situation," Hurney said.
However, he did say that trading down was an option he'd consider.
"We do think it's a deep draft," Hurney said. "If the right situation comes up and you can move back and collect more picks, you do it. You see who's there. With all of the scenarios we go over (in pre-draft meetings), that's what we decide. We will know going into the draft who we would stick around for and who we would trade back to get."
Although there typically hasn't been a lot of movement in the top 10 in past seasons, Hurney believes that could change this year because of the reduced rookie salary-cap pool under the new collective bargaining agreement.
Coach Ron Rivera said no matter who the Panthers choose in the first round, they expect he'll be an immediate starter.
"We're not taking a guy early to have him develop," Rivera said. "We're taking a guy early to put him on the field and have him help us right away. That's what the expectation is."
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press
