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Carolina Panthers News & Rumors

Panthers To Release CB Troy Hill

October 18th, 2024 at 12:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

Troy Hill is set to hit mid-season free agency. The veteran corner is being released by the Panthers, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Carolina sits at 1-5 on the year, so it comes as little surprise the team is electing to move on from a veteran to open up playing time for younger options in the secondary. Hill’s contract was set to expire after the year anyway, but now he will be available to interested teams without a trade being necessary. Having been let go before the trade deadline, Hill will not be subject to waivers.

The 33-year-old joined the Panthers last August, landing a deal shortly before the start of the regular season. That one-year pact allowed him to reunite with defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, with whom he worked during their time together with the Rams. Hill logged a 50% snap share in 2023, notching 48 tackles, six pass deflections and one interception.

That production allowed him to remain in Carolina, and he agreed to a new deal before the start of free agency. Rather than playing out that pact (which was near veteran minimum), he will try to latch onto a roster midway through the campaign. This move will generate a roughly equal amount of dead money along with salary cap savings.

Hill saw considerable time on the outside earlier in his career, but more recently he has operated more in the slot. That skillset could help his value, although the former UDFA has struggled in coverage this season. Hill has landed outside the top 55 in terms of CB PFF grading over each of the past three years, and that will continue in 2024 if he is unable to deliver stronger performances on his next team. As a veteran of 60 starts, though, he could provide experienced secondary depth at a minimum to a contending team.

The Panthers have struggled in a number of areas this season, including against the pass (226 yards allowed per contest, 26th in the NFL). Moving on from Hill will pave the way for increased playing time for some of the team’s younger corner contributors, including fifth-round rookie Chau Smith-Wade. It will be interesting to see how much interest develops amongst teams looking to add Hill in short order.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/16/24

October 16th, 2024 at 7:56pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Los Angeles Rams

Philadelphia Eagles

Washington Commanders

A number of players returned to practice today, designating their return from injured reserve. This means teams will have 21 days to activate the players from IR to the active roster.

Noteboom is the most notable name, as the veteran has spent his entire career in Los Angeles. The former third-round pick has settled into a versatile sixth OL for the Rams, starting 32 of his 68 appearances. The lineman started Week 1 but only played in about one third of his team’s offense snaps before suffering an ankle injury.

Panthers Open RB Jonathon Brooks’ Practice Window

October 16th, 2024 at 9:45am CST by Nikhil Mehta

OCTOBER 16: This is now official. Brooks will begin practicing with the Panthers, who have 21 days to activate him. This week will mark the second-round rookie’s first practices since his November 2023 ACL tear.

OCTOBER 14: Panthers rookie running back Jonathon Brooks is one step closer to making his NFL debut. The Panthers are set to open his 21-day practice window, setting up a prepared activation from the non-football injury list, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Carolina did not officially make the move on Monday, but head coach Dave Canales told reporters a practice debut is imminent. This will be a welcome development for a Panthers team still in the early stages of a rebuild, and Brooks is expected to play a key role in that plan.

The 46th overall pick back in April, Brooks tore his ACL in late 2023, which damaged but did not plummet his draft stock. The Panthers still took him in the second round as the potential future of their backfield, a decision that drew criticism considering Carolina’s other needs and lack of future draft capital after the Bryce Young trade. No other team chose a running back in the first or second round this year, illustrating Carolina’s confidence in Brooks’ talents.

Brooks began the season on the NFI list, with the Panthers prioritizing his long-term health over a speedy return. Chuba Hubbard has excelled as Carolina’s lead back in the meantime, ranking third in rushing yards (485), second in success rate (64.0%), and fifth in yards per attempt (5.6). Hubbard’s early success should allow Brooks to slowly build up his workload as he adjusts to the NFL and acclimates to Canales’ offense.

At 1-5, the Panthers need all the help they can get, but Brooks’ return will do little to kickstart an anemic offense that has struggled with poor quarterback play and offensive line injuries this year. The Texas product should be a bigger pass-catching threat out of the backfield, as both Hubbard and Miles Sanders have yet to crack 100 receiving yards on the year.

Once he is designated for return, Brooks will have 21 days to be added to the Panthers’ 53-man roster. Otherwise, he will revert to season-ending injured reserve, though that would only happen with a significant health setback.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/15/24

October 15th, 2024 at 9:16pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor moves in the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Nichols is reportedly out for the season, per the Cardinals, but Prater could still return after an additional four-game absence. He’s already missed two games so far with a left knee issue. The 40-year-old was a perfect six-for-six on field goal attempts this year while 10-for-10 on extra points.

The Browns lose an important depth lineman in Harris. Harris started games at left tackle and center as an injury replacement this year, but he’ll be out for at least the next four games with an ankle injury.

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris reported that Abernathy will be out for a “significant time,” per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/15/24

October 15th, 2024 at 6:41pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s NFL practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: T Spencer Rolland

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Amos is far-removed from his days as a full-time starter in the NFC North. With Talanoa Hufanga on injured reserve, though, and only three safeties on the active roster, Amos could have an opportunity to make an impact in the Bay Area.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/12/24

October 12th, 2024 at 8:38pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor transactions, including practice squad callups for Week 6:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/10/24

October 10th, 2024 at 8:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

Thursday’s taxi squad moves:

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

Uzomah is a veteran of 106 games stemming from his seven-year run in Cincinnati followed by two years with the Jets. The 31-year-old has topped 400 receiving yards in a season only twice, but he has remained a consistent depth option in the passing game. He will aim to provide a rotational contribution behind Dallas Goedert in Philadelphia.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/8/24

October 8th, 2024 at 7:49pm CST by Adam La Rose

Tuesday’s minor moves around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

Tennessee Titans

Kirkland is out for the season due to a biceps tear, head coach Zac Taylor said on Monday. That injury resulted in the addition of Andrew Stueber off Atlanta’s practice squad, a move which became official today. Kirkland, a former UDFA, made a pair of appearances this season, seeing sparse usage on offense and special teams.

Panthers, Shaq Lawson Agree To Deal

October 8th, 2024 at 7:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

Still on the lookout for veteran help along the edge, the Panthers are set to make another addition. Shaq Lawson has a deal in place with Carolina, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports. The move (a practice squad agreement) is now official, per a team announcement.

Wilson noted earlier today that Lawson visited the Panthers. The news of an agreement quickly coming together thus comes as little surprise, and it will add considerable experience to the team’s edge rush group. The 30-year-old is a veteran of 109 games, all of which came in the AFC East.

Lawson spent his first four seasons in Buffalo, with his most productive campaign coming in 2019 (6.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss). That stretch was followed by single campaigns with the Dolphins and Jets before a return to the Bills. After handling a notable role in Miami and New York, the former first-rounder returned to Buffalo; he remained there for 2022 and ’23.

During his second Bills stint, Lawson made seven total starts and recorded 4.5 sacks. He did not have a strong market during the spring, however, resulting in several weeks of the regular season playing out until interest picked up. In the wake of Jaelan Phillips‘ season-ending knee injury, Lawson was among the veteran edge rushers who visited the Dolphins on a workout last week. That process did not yield an agreement, but he did not need to wait long to find another suitor.

Carolina traded away Brian Burns this offseason, one in which Yetur Gross-Matos departed in free agency. Preseason injuries to both D.J. Wonnum and Amare Barno left the team thin on healthy options along the edge, and a reunion with Marquis Haynes was recently worked out. After Jadeveon Clowney suffered a shoulder injury in Week 5, Lawson’s addition will provide another healthy depth option. It will be interesting to see how quickly he finds himself on the active roster.

Panthers C Austin Corbett Out For Season

October 7th, 2024 at 3:47pm CST by Adam La Rose

Injury issues continue to plague Austin Corbett. The seventh-year offensive lineman tore his biceps in Week 5, Panthers head coach Dave Canales announced on Monday. As a result, he is out for the remainder of the campaign.

Corbett remained mainly healthy through the start of his NFL career, and he managed to suit up for all 17 games during his debut Panthers season (2021). In Week 18 of that year, however, he suffered an ACL tear which led to missed time the following campaign. The 29-year-old briefly returned to action in 2023, but an MCL injury once again sidelined him for the long haul and limited him to only four games.

Earlier in his Carolina tenure, Corbett operated as a guard. That position was a point of emphasis for the Panthers this offseason, though, with both Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis landing big-ticket deals on the open market. As a result, Corbett was moved to center ahead of the final year of his contract. That resulted in starts in the middle for each of the team’s first five games this year.

Corbett was charged with one sack and three pressures allowed by PFF in 2024, resulting in a grade of 62.9. That figure marks a rebound from that of last season but it falls short of his best evaluations, including his debut Carolina campaign as well as his time with the Rams. The former second-rounder will now turn his attention to recovery ahead of his next free agent spell, and his market value will of course take a hit given today’s news.

Not much has gone right on offense for the Panthers this year, though the team does rank mid-pack in terms of rushing yards per game (111). Carolina will no doubt remain committed to the ground game with Andy Dalton at quarterback moving forward, but the team’s offensive line will require a change for the rest of the year.

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