Carolina Panthers News & Rumors

Latest On Panthers’ CB Situation

April 1st, 2024 at 11:13am CST by Adam La Rose

The Panthers have a vacancy at the cornerback spot for the time being, with Donte Jackson having been traded to the Steelers for Diontae Johnson and C.J. Henderson departing in free agency. Carolina has since signed Dane Jackson, but another move could be coming relatively soon.

Carolina is interested in bringing back Stephon Gilmore, who had a one-year tenure with the team in 2021. That season was limited to eight games, but the former Defensive Player of the Year still managed to earn a Pro Bowl nod. Gilmore remained healthy during his subsequent campaigns with the Colts and Cowboys, and he is one of the top defensive free agents still on the market.

A new Dallas deal is on Gilmore’s radar, but the 33-year-old could see starting duties if he were to re-join the Panthers. Gilmore would play alongside Jadeveon Clowney in that event, as the former No. 1 pick joined Carolina last week. The two attended the same South Carolina high school, and that connection could help convince Gilmore to take on a Panthers deal. Short of that, though, the team could be in need of a rookie CB addition.

Joe Person of The Athletic predicts the Panthers will select a corner “fairly high” in the upcoming draft if Gilmore or no other veteran is not signed (subscription required). Carolina has Jaycee Horn in place as a starter for at least one more season; a decision on his fifth-year option will be made this spring. The former top-10 pick has battled injuries in his career, though, so a long-term investment in the secondary would come as little surprise.

Dane Jackson will play a part in the team’s efforts to improve against the pass, having signed a two-year deal in free agency. The 27-year-old was drafted when Panthers GM Dan Morgan was a member of Brandon Beane‘s Bills staff, and Person notes Morgan lobbied for Carolina to sign Jackson when he became available. Jackson is in line to serve as a slot starter on his new team, one which has undergone several changes on both sides of the ball this offseason.

Carolina ranked third against the pass in 2023, and the retention of defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero points to a repeat of that success being possible this season. At least one notable move at the CB spot will likely be required, however, whether it is a reunion with Gilmore or an early emphasis on the position in the draft.

Diontae Johnson Sought Trade From Steelers

March 31st, 2024 at 7:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Steelers have made a habit of moving on from starting wide receivers following their rookie contracts, regularly finding replacements in the draft. This assembly line, however, did feature an exception for Diontae Johnson, who signed an extension in 2022. But the Steelers wrapped Johnson’s tenure after five seasons by trading him to the Panthers.

Swapping out Johnson, 27, for Carolina cornerback Donte Jackson, Pittsburgh bailed on a player who led the team in receiving three times (2020-22) and one who displayed strong route-running chops. While some turbulence came along with the former third-round pick, the team has a need at receiver entering April.

Rumblings about a Johnson trade emerged around the Combine, and The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly indicates the talented pass catcher requested a trade (subscription required). Going into the final season on the two-year, $36.71MM extension he signed in summer 2022, Johnson will now count $10MM on Carolina’s cap and give Bryce Young a second veteran receiver to target alongside Adam Thielen.

It is unclear why Johnson wanted out, though the Steelers’ quarterback situation may well have played a role. Chosen in Round 3 out of Toledo, Johnson soon saw the Steelers’ QB fortunes change when Ben Roethlisberger suffered a season-ending elbow injury in September 2019. He showed potential with Mason Rudolph as a rookie, but Roethlisberger was a diminished version of himself upon returning in 2020. More limitations emerged in 2021, and the future Hall of Famer called it quits at season’s end. Drop issues notwithstanding, Johnson became Big Ben’s most trusted target following the elbow injury; he posted 144- and 167-target seasons in 2020 and ’21, posting a career-high 1,161 yards in Roethlisberger’s final season.

Kenny Pickett did not provide an upgrade. Johnson famously did not score a touchdown in 2022, going nearly two years between regular-season TDs. He added five TDs last year and averaged more yards per game (55.2) compared to 2022 but brought baggage stemming from comments and a dispute with safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. The five-year veteran also chirped at coaches during a rocky 2023 slate. Johnson was also criticized for showing little effort to recover a Jaylen Warren fumble during a game against the Bengals last season. A Johnson-Mitch Trubisky shouting match also took place in 2022, and the Steelers have closed the book on their partnership with the 5-foot-10 WR as they revamped their QB room around Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.

The Steelers have nabbed numerous starting wideouts on Day 2 of the draft during the Mike Tomlin–Kevin Colbert partnership — from Mike Wallace to Emmanuel Sanders to JuJu Smith-Schuster to Johnson to George Pickens — and it would certainly not surprise to see the team turn to the draft’s second day to address this spot once again. This is viewed as another deep receiver draft, and the Steelers have continually done well to staff this job. They need help alongside Pickens now, with Quez Watkins, Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin and gadget/returner addition Cordarrelle Patterson in the fold.

Mike Tomlin said the team had targeted Jackson, 28, in the past. The former second-round pick joins Joey Porter Jr. as the Steelers’ top corners. The team reduced its recent trade acquisition’s cap number as well. The sides agreed on a new deal that dropped Jackson’s 2024 cap number to $6MM, per OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald, who adds the seventh-year corner will receive $4.75MM guaranteed. The Steelers already picked up Jackson’s $4MM roster bonus upon acquiring him.

The Jackson trade left $9.78MM in dead money on Carolina’s payroll; the team moved on from the corner two years after re-signing him to a three-year, $35.18MM contract. Pittsburgh’s Johnson trade left $5.83MM in dead money on its cap sheet. Both players’ contracts still expire after the 2024 season, though their new teams hold exclusive negotiating rights until March 2025.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/29/24

March 29th, 2024 at 8:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

Friday’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Re-signed: LB Tae Davis

New Orleans Saints

Signed: K Charlie Smyth

Davis began the 2023 season in Atlanta, but he made the intra-divisional move to Carolina in November. The 27-year-old made eight appearances with the Panthers, playing exclusively on special teams. He will look to earn a roster spot based on his third phase abilities during training camp.

Smyth will join the Saints on a three-year contract as part of the International Player Pathway. The Newry, Ireland native played goalkeeper in Gaelic football before being selected as a candidate for the IPP program, and he will now look to transition to the NFL. Smyth, 22, joins 2023 UDFA Blake Grupe as the only kickers on New Orleans’ roster.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/28/24

March 28th, 2024 at 7:39pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Released: OL Justin Shaffer

Carolina Panthers

Re-signed: RB Raheem Blackshear

A 2022 undrafted free agent out of Virginia Tech, Blackshear has spent the majority of his professional career in Carolina. He’s managed to get in 25 games over his two NFL seasons, collecting 261 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns on 53 touches. He’s also played a significant special teams role, returning 35 kickoffs between 2022 and 2023. Blackshear will likely see a similar role in 2024 behind Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders.

Panthers Sign OLB Jadeveon Clowney

March 27th, 2024 at 10:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

After five seasons on one-year agreements, Jadeveon Clowney will land a deal that covers more than one season. The Panthers will provide it, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports.

Carolina is giving Clowney a two-year deal worth $20MM, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The contract can max out at $24MM. The Panthers have announced the signing, one that will send Clowney back to the region where he grew up. The Rock Hill, South Carolina, native — who became a No. 1 overall pick after a standout career with the Gamecocks — will be tasked with helping a Panthers team that is starting over at edge rusher.

The Jets and Ravens were in on Clowney as well, but the Panthers may well have edged the AFC squads out with a better offer. Clowney will collect a far better deal compared to his 2023 Ravens pact — a one-year, $2.5MM agreement that came to pass during training camp — and has scored his first multiyear agreement since his Texans rookie contract back in 2014.

Panthers GM Dan Morgan said this week the Panthers had not given up on Clowney, despite a report of aggressive Jets interest. The 31-year-old edge defender will join D.J. Wonnum and K’Lavon Chaisson as Carolina free agency pickups in the wake of the Brian Burns trade. While none of these players is a Burns-level pass rusher, Clowney is coming off a 9.5-sack season — more than Burns totaled in 2023 — and has been productive for multiple teams.

Although Clowney is not a lock to play for the Panthers beyond 2024, this agreement will end his string of one-year accords that stretches back to his 2019 franchise tag season. The Texans tagged Clowney but traded him to the Seahawks, with the trade terms preventing Seattle from tagging the former South Carolina phenom a second time. That did not turn out to be an issue, as Clowney has never checked in as a high-level pass rusher. He then signed a one-year deal with the Titans, two one-year pacts with the Browns and landed with the Ravens on a low-cost accord just before last season.

Not exactly a consistent pass rusher, Clowney has offered plus run defense at points and has been a player capable of providing pressure inside. In addition to coming off a career-high sack total, Clowney posted 19 QB hits and forced two fumbles to help the Ravens lead the NFL in scoring defense. The Ravens were interested in keeping the 6-foot-5 defender, with Clowney’s wife (via CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson) confirming he had spoken with the AFC North team about another deal. Baltimore was probably not as interested at that price. Baltimore is still interested in re-signing Kyle Van Noy, who nearly matched Clowney by reaching nine sacks despite joining the team in late September.

Clowney has battled injuries, with knee trouble a particular issue in Houston. He missed eight games for the Titans, completing a sackless season, and clashed with Browns coaches during his second Cleveland season — a two-sack campaign. Opposite Myles Garrett in 2021, however, Clowney reached nine sacks. Despite Clowney’s low sack total in 2022, Pro Football Focus graded him 27th among edge rushers — ahead of an 18th-place assessment last season. PFF ranked Clowney as a top-20 run defender in 2023 as well. While Clowney’s three Pro Bowl nods all came during his Texans tenure, he has remained a productive performer into his early 30s.

Two of the three edges that trekked to Charlotte on a visit early in free agency have signed. Chase Young did not, opting for a Saints deal amid neck concerns, but Clowney and Wonnum will be key parts of Ejiro Evero‘s defense in 2024. Burns anchored Carolina’s edge rush for five seasons, with Yetur Gross-Matos — who landed a 49ers deal early in free agency — providing inconsistent supplemental work. Hybrid pass rusher Frankie Luvu also left, joining the Commanders.

The Panthers probably are not done staffing their edge positions, with a draft choice seemingly prudent considering the free agency-heavy makeup at the position. But Clowney gives the team a versatile piece to deploy as it attempts to recover from last season’s 2-15 debacle.

Panthers To Re-Sign S Sam Franklin

March 27th, 2024 at 9:00pm CST by Ben Levine

While another Panthers move will steal the headlines, the team also managed to retain one of their special teams aces today. According to Joe Person of The Athletic, the Panthers are re-signing safety/core special teamer Sam Franklin. It’s a one-year deal for the veteran.

Franklin has spent his entire career in Carolina, joining the organization as an undrafted free agent out of Temple in 2020. He’s had an inconsistent defensive role through his first four seasons in the league, starting only nine of his 64 appearances. However, he’s managed to make an impact on special teams, averaging more than 270 ST snaps during that four-year span.

The 28-year-old actually got into a career-high 289 defensive snaps in 2023, finishing the season with a career-high 30 tackles. He also snagged his first career interception, returning it 99 yards for a touchdown.

While Franklin will continue to see a significant special teams role in 2024, he may not have the same opportunity on defense. The safety’s snaps last season mostly came when Xavier Woods and Vonn Bell were out of the lineup. While Bell is gone, the team has brought in Jordan Fuller and Nick Scott via free agency, pushing Franklin back towards the bottom of the depth chart.

Stephon Gilmore Back On Panthers’ Radar

March 26th, 2024 at 2:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

Even as the Panthers attempt to pick up the pieces after a 2-15 season, soon-to-be 31-year-old pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney remains on their radar. Another prominent NFL 30-something does as well.

Stephon Gilmore, who went to the same South Carolina high school as Clowney, is back in play for the Panthers. Carolina’s new regime reached out to Gilmore about a potential return, The Athletic’s Joe Person tweets.

Matt Rhule and GM Scott Fitterer authorized a 2021 trade that brought Gilmore to the Panthers for a 2023 sixth-round pick. Gilmore, however, ended up playing only a half-season with Carolina. The Panthers did not re-sign the Rock Hill, S.C., native in 2022; the former Defensive Player of the Year instead signed with the Colts. Indianapolis traded Gilmore to Dallas last year, and while the 33-year-old corner expressed interest in staying with the Cowboys, he remains unsigned.

Dallas brought back Jourdan Lewis, who will be in line to patrol the slot alongside DaRon Bland and the recovering Trevon Diggs. This might not leave a spot for Gilmore, who appears to have at least one other option. While cornerbacks ahead of their age-34 seasons do not typically generate extensive interest, Gilmore has been one of the NFL’s best boundary corners over the past several years.

Gilmore played a lead role in helping the Patriots to their sixth Super Bowl title, intercepting a pass against the Rams in a defensively powered championship performance. Gilmore won his DPOY honor the following year and made another Pro Bowl in 2020. He added a Pro Bowl alternate nod with the Panthers, though he only played in eight games that season due to a quad injury and a contract impasse with the Patriots. Last season, Gilmore intercepted two passes and allowed a 55.8% completion rate as the closest defender — his best showing since the dominant 2019 campaign.

The Panthers traded one of their CB starters, Donte Jackson, to the Steelers in an exchange that brought Diontae Johnson to Charlotte. Jaycee Horn has also dealt with injury problems; Gilmore initially joined the Panthers while Horn was rehabbing a broken foot. The team bringing Gilmore back would create a reality in which the Panthers roster two 33-year-old corners; the recently re-signed Troy Hill will turn 33 just before the season. This would be an interesting route to take for a rebuilding team, but another starter-level corner will likely be needed ahead of Ejiro Evero‘s second season running Carolina’s defense.

Panthers Still Pursuing Jadeveon Clowney

March 25th, 2024 at 3:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Panthers have made multiple additions at outside linebacker, but given what the team lost, more help will be needed ahead of Week 1. One such pursuit is ongoing, despite some notable interest from another team.

Carolina is still in on the Jadeveon Clowney market, with GM Dan Morgan indicating Monday (via The Athletic’s Joe Person) the team is staying in touch with the former No. 1 overall pick’s camp. The Panthers hosted Clowney on a visit early in free agency, but as of late, the Jets have been the team most closely connected to the veteran edge rusher.

A recent report indicated the Jets are “highly motivated” to land Clowney, with the sides being in constant contact since a recent meeting took place. The Panthers met with the South Carolina native first, doing so on the same day they hosted Chase Young and D.J. Wonnum. Young signed with the Saints, with a neck issue affecting his market; no team cleared Young on a physical this offseason. Wonnum did commit to Carolina, which also took a flier on former Jacksonville first-rounder K’Lavon Chaisson. But these two would not form a starter-caliber edge duo, keeping the Panthers in the market for an upgrade.

The Panthers, of course, traded Brian Burns to the Giants for a 2024 second-round pick, a 2024 fifth-rounder and a swap of 2025 fifths. This brought an underwhelming conclusion — from the Panthers’ end, at least — to a saga that famously included a Rams offer of two first-rounders and a third back in 2022. Former starter Yetur Gross-Matos, who could not quite justify the Panthers’ second-round investment, also signed a two-year, $18MM deal with the 49ers.

Clowney, 31, has a history of taking his time in free agency. A lucrative extension or free agency agreement never materialized for the one-time mega-prospect; instead, he has made quite a bit of money hopping around the league on one-year deals. If Clowney lands another one-year pact, it would be his fifth. He also played the 2019 season — with the Seahawks — on the franchise tag. Clowney waited until September 2020 to join the Titans while agreeing to his two Browns contracts in April 2021 and May 2022. He did not join the Ravens last year until August, forming a duo of late-summer OLB acquisitions with Kyle Van Noy.

Both Clowney and Van Noy were productive in Baltimore, which will likely lead to a better 2024 deal compared to his 2023 payment ($2.5MM). Clowney matched his career high with 9.5 sacks. Carolina totaled just 27 as a team; Burns was responsible for eight of those. The Panthers will likely look to the draft as well here, though they do not have a first-round pick, but Clowney would represent a nice stopgap solution for Ejiro Evero this season.

Jets “Highly Motivated” To Add Jadeveon Clowney

March 23rd, 2024 at 10:32pm CST by Ben Levine

Following Jadeveon Clowney‘s visit with the Jets earlier this month, the team is focused on getting a deal finalized. According to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report, the Jets are “highly motivated” to sign the veteran edge rusher to a contract. Schultz notes that the two sides have been in “constant contact” since their in-person meeting.

Since losing Bryce Huff to the Eagles, the Jets have been hunting for some reinforcement on the edge. As Schultz notes, the Jets were in the running for Shaquil Barrett “until the very end,” but they lost out on that sweepstakes when the pass rusher signed with the Dolphins.

Now, they’re shifting their focus to Clowney, who is coming off one of the most productive seasons of his career. The former first-overall pick got into 17 games (15 starts) for the Ravens in 2023, finishing with 9.5 sacks, 19 QB hits, and a pair of forced fumbles. For his efforts, Pro Football Focus graded Clowney 18th among 112 qualifying edge defenders.

In New York, Clowney would slide right into the rotational pass-rush role previously held by Huff, who finished last season with 10 sacks. While Huff didn’t start a game last year, he still got close to 500 defensive snaps playing alongside Jermaine Johnson and John Franklin-Myers. For comparison’s sake, Clowney garnered 654 snaps with the Ravens in 2023.

We heard previously that the Ravens were looking to retain the veteran, and Clowney also met with the Panthers during his free agency tour. According to Schultz, both of those teams remain in the hunt for the free agent, but it sounds like the Jets have been especially active in finalizing a deal.

LB Josey Jewell To Join Panthers

March 23rd, 2024 at 11:50am CST by Sam Robinson

TODAY, 11:50am: Jewell’s three-year deal will officially be listed as an $18.75MM contract, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. Of that total, $8.125MM is guaranteed, a significant jump on the previously reported $7MM in guarantees. Jewell also earned a $7MM signing bonus.

Jewell will have base salaries of $1.125MM in 2024 (guaranteed), $4.235MM in 2025 ($2MM guaranteed), and $4.55MM in 2026. The linebacker can earn $2MM via annual playing time and playoff escalators, and he’ll have per-game roster bonuses of $45K in 2025 and $50K in 2026.

MARCH 12, 4:00pm: Seeing players on all three defensive levels depart since the legal tampering period began, the Panthers will add a scheme-familiar player for Ejiro Evero in the aftermath of those exits.

Josey Jewell is signing with the Panthers, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. A six-year Bronco who worked as a starter for much of that tenure, Jewell played under Evero during the 2022 season. While the Broncos held discussions with Jewell about a third contract, Sean Payton‘s team will move on.

The Panthers are giving Jewell a three-year deal worth more than $22MM, according to the Denver Post’s Troy Renck. Of that total, more than $7MM is guaranteed. Jewell will be tied to a $22.5MM deal in total, with The Athletic’s Jeff Howe adding $10MM is guaranteed.

The Broncos discussed terms with Jewell’s camp at the Combine, and the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson indicates the team did not give up on a re-signing until the end. But with the Broncos cutting costs, Jewell will join center Lloyd Cushenberry in leaving Colorado. This was the expectation in Denver, which has been much quieter on this year’s market compared to Payton’s first year running the show.

Denver used Jewell and Alex Singleton as its off-ball linebacker starters over the past two seasons; both were attached to veteran deals in 2023, with Jewell at $5.5MM. The AFC West team, in light of the Russell Wilson development, may be aiming to scale back. The Panthers, conversely, are building around a rookie quarterback. That will help Jewell secure more in guarantees compared to his 2022 Denver pact and a raise in AAV.

Jewell played well under Evero and Vance Joseph over the past two seasons, combining for 236 tackles and 5.5 sacks. The former fourth-round pick added four forced fumbles in that span, intercepting two passes and notching seven tackles for loss under Evero in 2022. Pro Football Focus graded Jewell 40th among LBs last season but 27th under Evero two years ago.

The Panthers moved on from Frankie Luvu, seeing him join Jeremy Chinn by committing to the Commanders. Shaq Thompson remains on the Panthers, but the veteran is coming off a season an injury cut short after two games. Plenty will be expected of Jewell, who will turn 30 before season’s end.

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