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CHARLOTTE -- Rookie right tackle Jeff Otah kept opening giant holes Monday and rookie running back Jonathan Stewart kept rumbling through them. The night ended with the Carolina Panthers rushing for a team-record 299 yards in a decisive win over Tampa Bay.

And general manager Marty Hurney looked like the shrewdest guy at Bank of America Stadium.

Hurney's bold, draft-day trade that sent next year's first-round pick to Philadelphia for an extra first-round choice this year allowed the Panthers to get both Stewart and Otah, key additions in Carolina's turnaround from 7-9 a year ago to 10-3 this season.

"We felt like the combination of Jeff and Jonathan would certainly help enhance the personality of our offense," Hurney said Wednesday.

But getting them required a risky move that was met with plenty of skepticism back in April.

"We made the decision coming in that we were going to take Jonathan (at No. 13)," Hurney said. "But immediately after we made the pick we would get on the phone and see if anybody was interested in giving us their first round pick. ... We thought Jeff was that good and he fit into what we were trying to do."

The 6-foot-6, 330-pound Otah was still there at No. 19, and Philadelphia was willing to make a deal with Hurney.

The Panthers agreed to send their second- and fourth-round picks this year and their first-round choice next year for the 19th pick. The Panthers then quickly selected Otah, whose stock had dropped because of a lingering ankle injury from his senior year at Pittsburgh.

"You never like trading away draft picks at all. But I think the feeling was we were confident in our evaluations of him," Hurney said. "We felt like big, athletic tackles like Jeff are hard to find."

Otah dominated the left side of the Buccaneers' defensive line Monday night. Stewart (115 yards rushing) and Williams (186) raced through huge holes as the Panthers took sole possession of first place in the NFC South.

"That's the first time I did something like that," said the soft-spoken Otah, "so it was kind of cool."

While it looks like a great move now, the draft-day deal could have been disastrous. What if Stewart and Otah didn't produce, the Panthers failed to have a winning record for the third straight year and faced the prospect of having no first-round pick next year?

"You don't have a first-round pick in '09. Well, that's right. We have him in '08 and he's a year ahead of the '09 first-round pick," quarterback Jake Delhomme said. "To me, that's smart drafting. If that's what you want, go out and get it and hopefully it works out. So far we think it has."

But even Delhomme acknowledged some frustration early. Otah couldn't participate in some offseason workouts as he recovered from his ankle injury. Stewart was also sidelined as he worked his way back from toe surgery.

The patience paid off. Stewart and Williams have become one of the top rushing tandems in the league, and Otah has been a key cog in an improved offensive line.

Plus, the more the Panthers win, the happier Hurney gets and the lower that first-round pick will be for the Eagles next season.

"We know we want to run the football," Hurney said. "When we've been successful, we've been a downhill running team. So to be able to do that against a very good defense, it obviously makes you feel good."