Former Vikings WR Adam Thielen could be with a new team after next week

Could the Carolina Panthers be looking to move on from former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen before next week's trade deadline?

Eight weeks into his first season with the Carolina Panthers, former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen still hasn't been able to celebrate a victory with his new team.

Thielen and the Panthers are currently sitting with an 0-6 record as they prepare for a Week 8 matchup in their home stadium against the Houston Texans.

Despite Carolina's lack of success, the former Vikings wide receiver has still managed to be very productive this season. In his six games, Thielen has caught 49 passes for 509 yards and four touchdowns.

Will the Carolina Panthers move former Minnesota Vikings WR Adam Thielen before this season's trade deadline?

Before the regular season, the Panthers signed Thielen to a three-year contract worth up to $25 million. Carolina would lose money if they just released him before the end of the season, but if they trade him before next Tuesday's trade deadline, they would clear more than $1.6 million in cap space.

Clearly, trading Thielen wouldn't clear up a ton of cap space. So in order for the Panthers to move him before this year's trade deadline, they would likely have to receive a compensation offer that they cannot refuse.

Teams currently in contention to compete for a championship this season, like the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, and Detroit Lions, would probably be more willing to give up a little bit more than what Thielen is worth in order to add the receiver to their roster before making a push toward the playoffs.

At 0-6, Carolina is likely going to be looking to acquire as many assets as possible in order to build a better roster for the future. In order to acquire these extra assets, moves like trading Thielen before next week's deadline might be necessary.