Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: WR Qadir Ismail
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: DL Junior Aho
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: K Lucas Havrisik
- Waived: WB Jacob Sirmon
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: DT Matt Dickerson
Absences around the NFL with respect to offseason workouts receives attention at a number of positions, but kicker is generally not one of them. In the case of Eddy Pineiro, though, the start of Panthers OTAs marked the next step in his decision to remain away from the team. 
Pineiro has been absent throughout all of Carolina’s offseason, program, per Joe Person of The Athletic (subscription required). One year remains on his contract, and he is due to make $2MM in 2024. That falls well short of the top of the kicker market, and Pineiro will aim to land a raise on a new deal.
The 28-year-old began his NFL career with the Raiders, but his debut came as a member of the Bears. His Chicago campaign in 2019 was strong in terms of both field goals (23-of-28) and extra point attempts (27-of-29), but he did not see the field the following year. In 2021, Pineiro kicked for the Jets following an unsuccessful attempt to land the gig in Washington.
That was followed by a one-year Panthers deal signed in August 2022. Pineiro followed special teams coordinator Chris Tabor to Carolina after working alongside him in Chicago. The move allowed him to fill in for the injured Zane Gonzlez, and it proved to be an effective one for team and player. Pineiro connected on all but two of his field goal attempts and two of his extra point kicks in 2022.
As a result, the Panthers made the unsurprising decision to retain the Florida product on a two-year accord. Last year, Pineiro saw his field goal (86.2%) and extra point (85%) accuracy dip, although overall his Panthers tenure has seen him remain one of the league’s most accurate kickers. Eight of Pineiro’s counterparts average at least $5MM per season on their respective deals, and he could be attempting to reach that level of compensation or at least another extension which moves him closer to the top 10.
Of course, the Panthers do have another kicker on their offseason roster. The team signed Harrison Mevis as a UDFA last month, and he is now in place to handle all kicking duties given Pineiro’s ongoing absence. The position will be one to monitor as the offseason progresses.
The Cowboys hit on quite a few of their picks in the 2022 NFL Draft, with first-rounder Tyler Smith reaching second-team All-Pro status last year, fourth-rounder Jake Ferguson earning the starting tight job halfway through his rookie season, and fifth-rounder DaRon Bland leading the NFL in interceptions, interception return yards, and pick sixes last season. Their second- and third-round picks from that draft, though, are still struggling to make a similar impact two years in. That may be changing soon.
Former second-round edge rusher Sam Williams found his name getting called fourth on the depth chart last year, behind Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Dorance Armstrong. It’s hard to imagine being disappointed with a fourth-place finish in that situation, considering Parsons has become a perennial DPOY candidate, Lawrence is a four-time Pro Bowler, and Armstrong is a veteran with 21.0 sacks in the last three years. Still, per Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News, Williams wants to play more, and director of player personnel Stephen Jones claims that, thanks to Armstrong’s departure in free agency to Washington, those opportunities will come this year, though he will be competing now with this year’s second-round pick Marshawn Kneeland.
Likewise, third-round wide receiver Jalen Tolbert has seen limited production behind CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, Noah Brown, and Michael Gallup. With Brown gone last year, Tolbert stepped his role up a little bit. After the team released Gallup, Tolbert is, once again, expected to step his game up in 2024. With Lamb and Cooks returning, Tolbert will now be given a larger opportunity to step in as WR3, per David Moore of the Dallas Morning News.
Here are a few other rumors from around the NFC:
- Many have looked at the Panthers‘ decision to draft Bryce Young over C.J. Stroud in the 2023 NFL Draft as a gigantic misstep, given the vast difference in success each team saw last year. According to Joseph Person of The Athletic, some in the Panthers organization point to the S2 cognitive test as the main reasoning for the decision. Per Person, team owner David Tepper, a hedge-fund billionaire and a proponent of analytics, took the S2 test results very heavily into consideration when helping the team to make their decision. The test of processing speed and reaction time has been looked at as a potential indicator of future success at the quarterback position. Young scored extremely well (in the 98th percentile), while Stroud did not (18th percentile).
- 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw notoriously missed a good mount of the team’s Super Bowl loss after tearing his Achilles tendon in the big game. According to a report from Matt Barrows of The Athletic, Greenlaw told the media that he had been experiencing some soreness in his Achilles for about a month or so before the game. He recently was able to shed his walking boot as he continues in recovery.
- It’s been over a year since Steve Keim stepped down as general manager of the Cardinals following an indefinite leave of absence due to “an undisclosed health-related matter.” According to a recent interview Keim did with Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, the Cardinals administration advised Keim to check into a rehab while he was still general manager of the team. Of course, the situation eventually resulted in the two sides parting ways, but Keim continues to work on himself following the conclusion of his NFL career.
A number of Panthers were known to be on the block in advance of the 2023 trade deadline. That group included wideout Terrace Marshall, though he was not dealt. 
Marshall entered the league with high expectations after he played a role in LSU’s explosive passing game alongside Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. While the latter two members of that pair have established themselves amongst the league’s top receivers, Marshall has struggled to carve out a role at the pro level. He once again faces an uncertain future in Carolina.
Marshall is likely on the roster bubble this summer, Joe Person of The Athletic writes (subscription required). The 23-year-old received permission to find a trade partner in October, but to little surprise there was not a strong market to acquire him. A limited role in the team’s offense in 2023 relative to his playing time the previous year fueled a trade request.
Carolina did not add a wideout during the campaign, but the team has been active on that front this offseason. The Panthers dealt cornerback Donte Jackson to the Steelers in return for Diontae Johnson. The latter posted at least 86 catches and 882 yards each year from 2020-22, and he will be a key member of Carolina’s passing attack moving forward.
The same is also true of Xavier Legette, whom the Panthers traded up to select at the end of Round 1 in the draft. The South Carolina product did not handle a notable role until 2023, but last season he posted a 71-1,255-7 statline while also showcasing his ability as a returner. Legette’s skillset is different from that of Johnson and 2023 signee Adam Thielen, and he will be counted on to carve out a role during his rookie season.
Thielen received 137 targets in his debut Panthers season, in part due to the team’s lack of other established pass-catching options. The additions of Johnson and Legette (as well as the decision to draft tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders in the fourth round) were aimed at rectifying that issue in quarterback Bryce Young‘s second campaign. The Panthers also have 2023 third-rounder Jonathan Mingo in place on the WR depth chart.
Marshall averaged 17.5 yards per catch while logging nine starts in 2022 when Ben McAdoo guided Carolina’s offense. His playing time saw a notable decline last year, though, and he recorded only 19 scoreless catches. Marshall’s performance in training camp will be worth watching closely. If new head coach Dave Canales does not foresee the former second-rounder surviving roster cutdowns, the team could look to move him in the final year of his rookie contract.
The Commanders announced three updates to their front office staff this week. With new leadership in general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn, the team sees two staffers depart and one scout join his former boss.
Firstly, senior director of player development Malcolm Blacken will not be retained in 2024, per Ben Standig of The Athletic. Serving multiple stints with the team since 1999, Blacken had risen to his role from years as a strength and conditioning coach.
Joining Blacken in departure will be college scout Harrison Ritcher. According to Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com, Ritcher is headed to Atlanta to serve as a national scout for the Falcons, reuniting with former Washington staffer, and current assistant general manager in Atlanta, Kyle Smith. Ritcher had been with the team since 2017.
Lastly, the Commanders will be adding Jack Quagliarello to the scouting staff as a pro scout, per Stratton. Quagliarello follows Peters from San Francisco after spending last season as a scouting assistant with the 49ers.
Here are a few other staff updates from around the NFL:
- The 49ers also made some announcements, all to their scouting staff. San Francisco has promoted Josh Williams from national scout to director of scouting & football operations, per Stratton. Williams started with the team in 2011 as a scouting assistant and has quickly risen through the ranks. As a part of the NFL’s accelerator program, Williams is widely considered a future general manager candidate. He’ll work closely with general manager John Lynch and executive vice president of football operations Paraag Marathe in 2024. In addition, Stratton notes that Ryan Schutta has been hired as a scouting assistant, filling the role vacated by Quagliarello’s departure mentioned above.
- Following his retirement, we learned that former Patriots special teams ace Matthew Slater would join the Patriots staff in a full-time role. Now, Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald tells us a bit more about Slater’s new role. Kyed says that, while Slater “hasn’t advanced into a coaching role” just yet, he will serve an advisory role on the staff in 2024.
- The Colts had reportedly finalized their 2024 coaching staff back in March, but we did note that they planned to announce two Tony Dungy Diversity Fellowship hires at the time. The team has officially made such announcements, per team writer JJ Stankevitz, naming Kalon Humphries and Diego Ortiz as the two fellows. Indianapolis also announced a title change for Joe Hastings, who will now serve as senior assistant special teams coach, and the hiring of Brent Stockstill as a defensive assistant. Stockstill makes his NFL coaching debut after five years coaching at the collegiate level with a focus on offense.
- Lastly, the Panthers have added Brad Obee as their new Midwest scout, according to Stratton. Over 21 years with the Bears and Eagles, Obee has spent time in numerous scouting roles, often focusing on pro scouting. He most recently spent the last three seasons as an area scout for Philadelphia, departing after the expiration of his contract.
Jake Rosenberg‘s Eagles exit is now official. After a report earlier this offseason indicated Rosenberg would step down following a 12-year tenure with the team, the Eagles’ VP of football administration made the announcement (via PHLY.com’s Zach Berman). A friend of GM Howie Roseman‘s dating back to elementary school, Rosenberg assisted the Eagles on the salary cap front. The team has frequently been ahead of the curve in this area, as its 2024 offseason reinforced. It is not known where Rosenberg is headed, but this marks another key departure in the Eagles’ front office. Two years ago, four of Roseman’s lieutenants — Brandon Brown, Ian Cunningham, Catherine Raiche, Andy Weidl — left for assistant GM roles elsewhere. Another key piece will need to be replaced now.
Post-draft front office changes are common around the league. Here is the latest from the NFC:
- Despite not being a Terry Fontenot hire, Tokunbo Abanikanda will rise to a key post in the Falcons‘ front office. The team is promoting the veteran scout to its college scouting director post, InsidetheLeague.com’s Neil Stratton tweets. Abanikanda has been with the Falcons since midway through Thomas Dimitroff‘s GM tenure, arriving in 2012. He will now take a pivotal role in the team’s draft preparation. Elsewhere in the Falcons’ front office, the team’s player personnel coordinator — Brian Zeches — is moving on, Stratton adds. Formerly an exec in Washington and Kansas City, Zeches was named to this post during the 2023 offseason.
- In addition to adding Chris Snee to their scouting staff, the Giants are making multiple in-house promotions. They are bumping Nick La Testa to assistant director of pro scouting and naming Charles Tisch their football operations manager, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets. Charles Tisch, who had been a football ops assistant, is the nephew of Giants co-owner Steve Tisch. With the Giants since 2017, La Testa had previously worked on the scouting level for the team.
- A Carolina-to-Washington pipeline formed during Ron Rivera‘s NFC East stay, but the Commanders will now lose an exec to the Panthers. Carolina is hiring David Whittington for a college scouting role, according to Stratton. Whittington had been with Washington since 2009, holding several positions. Most recently, he worked as a national scout with the Commanders. The Panthers are also adding Eric Eager to their analytics department, per Stratton. Eager, a former Pro Football Focus staffer, worked most recently as the vice president of SumerSports, an analytics-based website that also employs Dimitroff presently.
- The Bears are going through with a round of promotions as well. GM Ryan Poles is elevating Breck Ackley from assistant college scouting director to the director post, while Stratton notes national scout Francis St. Paul will become the assistant director. Area scouts Brendan Rehor and John Syty are also moving to national scouting roles.
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: TE Ross Dwelley
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: LB Cam Gill, DL T.J. Smith
Chicago Bears
- Signed: WR John Jackson, DT Dashaun Mallory, LB Paul Moala, WR Freddie Swain
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Kaden Davis, TE Parker Hesse
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed off waivers (from 49ers): DL Spencer Waege
- Placed on reserve/retired list: OL Trente Jones
Kansas City Chiefs
- Re-signed: LB Cole Christiansen
- Released: DT Matt Dickerson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: DL Chris Collins
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: OL Ireland Brown, CB Jason Maitre
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: TE Sammis Reyes
New England Patriots
- Signed: RB Terrell Jennings, G Ryan Johnson, LB Jay Person, DE Jotham Russell
- Waived: RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DT Kendal Vickers
- Waived: NT John Penisini
New York Giants
- Signed: DL Elijah Chatman
- Waived: OLB Jeremiah Martin
New York Jets
- Signed: WR Hamze El-Zayat, RB Markese Stepp
- Waived: RB Jacques Patrick, DE Marquiss Spencer
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB Shon Stephens
- Waived: TE Noah Togiai
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived: OL Kellen Diesch
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DL Shakel Brown
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DE Nathan Pickering, LB Devin Richardson
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: TE Nick Vannett
The Panthers currently have three quarterbacks on the roster, including undrafted rookie Jack Plummer. He took part in Carolina’s rookie minicamp over the weekend and remains with the team, but further moves under center could be taking place. 
Carolina has 2023 first overall pick Bryce Young atop the depth chart. The 22-year-old did not meet expectations during his rookie season, but the team’s offseason moves in free agency and the draft were aimed in large part at providing him better protection up front and an enhanced skill-position group. Veteran Andy Dalton – who made three appearances and one start last season – is under contract for one more year as Young’s backup.
First-year head coach Dave Canales said in March the Panthers could be suitors for an experienced third quarterback. No addition on that front has been made through the post-draft wave of free agency, but Canales (who praised Plummer’s performance) noted the team is still keeping their “ears to the ground” on the subject of veteran signal-callers.
“What we always like to do is to add people, especially guys that have some kind of exposure to our system,” Canales said, via The Athletic’s Joe Person (subscription required). “I’m looking for value for the quarterback room. What do they bring for that room, for Bryce in particular?”
Ryan Tannehill, Blaine Gabbert, Brian Hoyer and Trevor Siemian are among the top options still available for the Panthers or other teams eyeing veteran insurance. Carolina has roughly $6MM in cap space entering Monday, a smaller figure than several others teams at this point in the offseason (although the Panthers have already inked their entire draft class). Given the depth of experienced passers on the market, any addition would likely not be an expensive one.
Part of the Canales hire was based the ex-Seahawks and Buccaneers staffers’ work developing quarterbacks. His ability to oversee a rebound performance from Young will be a defining storyline for the Panthers in 2024, but it will be interesting to see if the team adds depth behind him in the near future.
The Panthers were able to address some weak spots on the roster with their draft picks last month but weren’t able to add much help to the offensive and defensive fronts. Thanks to a number of departures and a relatively small, seven-man draft class, Carolina was able to add a large, 19-man undrafted free agent group that does just that. Here’s the list of new UDFAs:
- Ulumoo Ale, DT (Washington)
- Popo Aumavae, DE (Oregon)
- Jalen Coker, WR (Holy Cross)
- Jeremiah Crawford, OT (Tennessee)
- Willie Drew, CB (Virginia State)
- Christian Duffie, OT (Kansas State)
- Kenny Dyson, OLB (Bryant)
- Kevin Foelsch, TE (New Haven)
- DeShawn Gaddie, CB (Mississippi)
- Darius Hodges, DE (Tulane)
- Clayton Isbell, S (Coastal Carolina)
- Derrick McLendon, OLB (Colorado)
- Harrison Mevis, K (Missouri) (story)
- Jackson Mitchell, LB (UConn)
- Sam Pinckney, WR (Coastal Carolina)
- Jack Plummer, QB (Louisville)
- Andrew Raym, C (Oklahoma)
- Demani Richardson, S (Texas A&M)
- Jaden Shirden, RB (Monmouth)
On offense, the Panthers add a little depth and a bit of potential, as well. Plummer was a journeyman in college, playing at Purdue for four years before spending a year each at Cal and Louisville. After a quiet tenure with the Boilermakers, Plummer delivered back-to-back 3,000-yard, 21-touchdown passing seasons for the Golden Bears and Cardinals.
At running back, Shirden doesn’t have much size or power, but his quick burst and speed are great attributes. In 2022, he led the FCS in rushing with 1,722 yards and 13 touchdowns while averaging 8.4 yards per carry. He followed that up in 2023 with 1,478 yards and 10 touchdowns. Coker was another small school phenom at Holy Cross. In his final two years, Coker caught 109 balls for 1,952 yards and 26 touchdowns. The jump in competition will be large for both players, but if they can make the adjustment, they could each earn roster spots.
Raym could be an underrated addition as a backup center after 29 starts at the position for the Sooners. He lacks perfect technique and athleticism but has toughness and instincts that could help him succeed in the NFL, and we’ve seen other linemen out of Oklahoma with similar limitations strive in the league.
On defense, Carolina brings in the try-hard Husky Mitchell. In all three years as a full-time starter, Mitchell led his team in tackles with 120, 140, and 113 from 2021-23. He stuffed the stat sheet over his collegiate career with 25 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, 10 passes defensed, and three interceptions. He struggles to overcome blockers and doesn’t cover well, but his above-average play recognition could make him a nuisance.
The Panthers added a small school phenom on defense, as well. Drew comes in from Virginia State, where he dominated in his last two seasons as a starter. He showed elite ball skills, racking up 34 passes defensed and 11 interceptions in those two years. Like Shirden and Coker, he’ll need to trust his abilities and develop to compete with much tougher competition.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
Friday’s minor transactions as we head into the weekend:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: WR Dylan Drummond
Buffalo Bills
- Deemed international roster exemption: T Travis Clayton
Carolina Panthers
- Released: RB Tarik Cohen
- Waived: WR Jalen Camp, TE Chris Pierce Jr.
- Waived (with injured designation): RB Spencer Brown, T Ilm Manning, DT Raequan Williams
- Waived (with non-football injury designation): CB AJ Parker
Dallas Cowboys
- Deemed international roster exemption: DT Denzel Daxon
Denver Broncos
- Deemed international roster exemption: TE Thomas Yassmin
Houston Texans
- Waived: RB Gerrid Doaks
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived: WR Terrell Bynum
Miami Dolphins
- Deemed international roster exemption: T Bayron Matos
New York Giants
- Waived (with injured designation): RB Deon Jackson
Cohen hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since his time in Chicago, where he earned first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors as a punt returner, ended in 2020. The North Carolina A&T product had been part of an effective 1-2 punch with Jordan Howard but saw his role diminish with the arrival of David Montgomery in 2019. Since then, injuries have limited the explosive rusher’s ability to make an impact.