Will the Panthers trade one of their running backs?

  Jonathan Stewart (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

Fans have been debating this for weeks: Does it make practical sense to trade DeAngelo Williams or Jonathan Stewart for draft picks?

Williams, although he doesn't have ton of NFL mileage, was the focal point of the Memphis Tigers his entire collegiate career. Williams set conference records during his four years at Memphis, finishing with 6,026 rushing yards and 55 touchdowns on 969 carries, and NCAA Division I-A records with 7,573 all-purpose yards. Since he was drafted 26th overall by the Panthers in 2006, Williams has 3,850 yards rushing on 754 carries and 861 yards receiving on 107 receptions.

Williams is 26 years old and has one year left on his original contract with the Panthers. The next contract he signs probably will be the most lucrative of his career.

Jonathan Stewart was the 13th overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. DeAngelo Williams made the Pro Bowl, but it was Stewart that led the Panthers in rushing last season. In his two-year career, Stewart has ran for 1,969 yard on 405 carries and caught 26 passes for 186 yards. Stewart didn't come close to achieving what Williams did while in college, rushing for 2,891 yards on 516 carries. The 22-year old bruiser amassed 4,889 all-purpose yards during his three-year collegiate career.

Doing the math, Stewart is four years younger than Williams, has less mileage on him than Williams and is under contract longer than Williams. The only thing that Williams has over Stewart is his health; Stewart had surgery on his toe due to a turf toe issue coming out of college, and then most recently on his ankle / Achilles due to problems that arose from his walking differently as to not aggravate the surgically repaired toe. Still, even with a sore Achilles, Stewart led the team in rushing in 2009.

Williams' next contract will likely carry him past his 30th birthday. How many RBs succeed past the age of 30? How many RBs over the age of 30 have been Pro Bowl caliber RBs for more than a season?

Stephen Davis was a prime example. The Redskins knew he was on his last legs when they let him go. Davis had one decent season in Carolina after his stint with Washington, which ironically propelled the Panthers to the Super Bowl in 2003.

Sure, there are the occasional physical freaks like Marshall Faulk, Marcus Allen and Emmitt Smith, but those guys are few and far between. Are the Panthers willing to make a multi-million dollar gamble on Williams being one of those freaks -- especially when they have a back the caliber of Jonathan Stewart already on the roster?

The Panthers are in a position to trade Williams at the height of his talent and get maximum return, at the same time having a quality back like Stewart, who didn't have a whole lot of wear and tear on him coming out of Oregon (although has suffered some concerning problems with the turf toe and Achilles), to step in without missing a beat.

Or do the Panthers part ways with Stewart instead of Williams? Williams has another four years at a peak level at least, and the Panthers could find a replacement in the draft when the time comes. Stewart has a lot left in the tank and could start for nearly any team in the league. Trading him would probably net the same result as trading Williams.

Ultimately, the Panthers won't -- and can't -- pay both.

This isn't new territory for the Panthers. They've been in this situation twice in the past.

A few years back, they were forced to pick between Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad. The team couldn't afford two number one wide receivers, and opted to let Muhammad walk.

The team had a similar situation with linebackers Dan Morgan and Will Witherspoon. They couldn't afford to pay two top-shelf linebackers, so they paid Morgan and let Witherspoon walk.

Neither moves were popular, but were viewed as necessary at the time.

Common sense says you keep the younger guy that fits the system you run: a bruising, punishing-in-the-trenches brand of offense.

It makes sense financially, even though it doesn't seem right from a personal point of view.