Carolina Panthers News & Rumors

NFC South Coaching Updates: Marrone, Cooley, Peelle

March 22nd, 2024 at 9:20pm CST by Ely Allen

New Boston College head coach Bill O’Brien is set to take yet another NFL coach onto his new staff. According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, former Saints offensive line coach and former NFL head coach Doug Marrone is set to join O’Brien’s staff.

Marrone joins former Patriots tight ends coach Will Lawing at Boston College. Lawing left New England’s NFL team for his first offensive coordinator opportunity at the collegiate level. Both Lawing and Marrone worked under O’Brien at Alabama in 2021.

Bringing his experience as a head coach at Syracuse and for the Bills and Jaguars, Marrone will serve in the role of senior analyst for football strategy/research.

Here are a few other coaching updates from around the NFC South:

The Panthers have granted a promotion to secondary and cornerbacks coach Jonathan Cooley. After one year with the team, Cooley was part of a defensive staff under coordinator Ejiro Evero that was completely retained under new head coach Dave Canales. In his second season with the team, Carolina has made Cooley their defensive passing game coordinator, per Joe Person of The Athletic.
This week, the Buccaneers announced the hire of Justin Peelle as their new tight ends coach. Formerly the tight ends coach of the Falcons, Peelle was not retained after the firing of Arthur Smith and will cross the division to join Liam Coen‘s offensive staff in Tampa Bay. Peelle, a former NFL tight end himself, has had plenty of success during his coaching career, mentoring players like Zach Ertz in Philadelphia and Kyle Pitts in Atlanta. In Tampa Bay, he’ll inherit a position group that features Cade Otton.

Panthers Sign S Nick Scott

March 22nd, 2024 at 5:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

Nick Scott was one of several veteran safeties who were released at the start of free agency, but he has not needed to wait long to find a new deal. Scott is joining the Panthers, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. This will be a one-year deal, ESPN’s David Newton adds. The move has now been made official by a team announcement.

The 28-year-old spent his first four seasons with the Rams, working alongside Ejiro Evero during that span. The latter is in place as the Panthers’ defensive coordinator, so this Carolina pact represents a reunion in that respect for Scott. He will join a safety room which recently added another ex-Ram in the form of Jordan Fuller.

Scott took on full-time starting duties during his final season in Los Angeles, something which helped his free agent stock. He inked a three-year, $12MM deal with the Bengals last offseason, but his debut campaign in Cincinnati did not go as planned. Scott was replaced in the starting lineup by Jordan Battle midway through the season, and as a result it came as little surprise the former was released last week.

The Bengals moved quickly in free agency by adding Geno Stone, a move which further pointed to Scott being let go. Cincinnati has also brought back a familiar face (Vonn Bell) at the safety spot, signing him not long after his Panthers release. The latter’s departure, coupled with that of Jeremy Chinn, left Carolina in need of multiple additions in the secondary.

Scott was held without an interception or pass deflection during his time with the Bengals, and he allowed a passer rating of 99.6 in coverage. Those struggles no doubt hurt his value and contributed to this short-term flier being available only one offseason after he secured a multi-year accord. Scott will compete for a starting spot this summer, but at a minimum he will provide Evero with an experienced and familiar depth option.

NFC South Notes: Cousins, Falcons, Ramczyk, Saints, Davis, Evans, Panthers

March 20th, 2024 at 3:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Falcons are under investigation for tampering during their Kirk Cousins pursuit. Cousins said during his Falcons intro presser he spoke with the team’s trainer ahead of his official signing, which would be a violation. Cousins may well have revealed another tampering violation, indicating (via Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio) he offered to call Darnell Mooney to help close the Falcons’ pitch to the former Bears wide receiver. Mooney committed to the Falcons on Day 2 of the tampering period. With Cousins’ deal not yet official at that point, such recruitment on behalf of the team would be a violation as well.

None of this will result in the Falcons losing Cousins, but a fine and/or a draft choice being stripped would be in play if the team is found to have violated the tampering policy (albeit during a stretch referred to as the legal tampering period). Given the multiple issues here, the Falcons certainly run the risk of being punished.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

In a division with two of the league’s restructure mavens, the Panthers are hoping to avoid such moves under new GM Dan Morgan. The former Carolina assistant GM said (via The Athletic’s Joe Person) he will aim to avoid kicking the can down the road in the form of restructures. Teams have turned to restructures more in the 2020s, as the larger cap spikes have helped clubs manage the bigger cap hits down the road, but both the Buccaneers and Saints have needed to take some medicine at points this decade due to restructures.
Having said that, the Panthers did reach a restructure agreement with Shaq Thompson to both create cap space and retain their longest-tenured player. This will reduce the 10th-year linebacker’s base salary to $3.1MM and clear around $3MM in cap space, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Headed into his age-30 season, Thompson is coming off a two-game campaign halted by a fractured fibula. He is now on the Panthers’ cap sheet at $3.19MM.
Ryan Ramczyk finished last season on IR due to a knee injury that he admitted bothered him for nearly the entire season. A cartilage defect in his knee also brought some ominous comments from the standout right tackle, but he is on track to play an eighth season with the Saints. Ramczyk underwent what Dennis Allen (via NOLA.com’s Matthew Paras) labeled a minor knee procedure; he is expected to be ready for training camp. Additionally, Ramczyk agreed to a reworked contract that guarantees him $6.5MM this season, ESPN’s Field Yates tweets. Ramcyzk’s 2021 extension previously had no guarantees left, but it called for a $27MM 2024 cap number. This reworking brought that down to $12.9MM, and NewOrleans.football’s Mike Triplett refers to it as a significant pay cut. Ramczyk is signed through 2026, but no guarantees are due beyond 2024.
The Saints also brought James Hurst‘s cap number down from $6.5MM to $2.9MM, NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill tweets. Two void years are present in Hurst’s deal, but the veteran O-lineman, who has been needed to start over the past three seasons, is due for free agency in 2025.
New Orleans’ latest Demario Davis contract (two years, $17.25MM) will bring $13.25MM in guarantees, ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell tweets. The team is guaranteeing $2.5MM of Davis’ $6.5MM 2025 base salary, with Terrell adding a $1.75MM roster bonus will be due next year. That roster bonus will be key in determining if Davis plays the 2025 season in New Orleans; the new deal dropped Davis’ 2024 cap hit from $18.1MM to $6.2MM.
Not quite as prolific as the Saints on the restructure front, the Buccaneers have been aggressive here since the Tom Brady signing. Tampa Bay has already restructured Mike Evans‘ deal, per MLFootball, with his $21.8MM roster bonus into a signing bonus. This freed up $17.4MM in cap space, which the Bucs put to good use as they re-signed Baker Mayfield and Lavonte David following the application of Antoine Winfield Jr.‘s franchise tag.
The Panthers‘ Dane Jackson contract is for two years and worth $8.5MM in base value, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. While this NFL period has featured Carolina-to-Buffalo moves, the veteran cornerback will make the reverse trip and do so for $5.12MM guaranteed. The guarantees cover $1MM of Jackson’s 2025 base salary ($3.74MM).

Panthers Sign WR David Moore

March 19th, 2024 at 9:44pm CST by Ben Levine

9:44pm: Justin Strnad has had a change of heart. After being close to finalizing a deal with the Panthers, the free agent linebacker will actually be returning to Denver on a one-year deal, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

7:40pm: Dave Canales is adding a familiar face to his offense. The Panthers announced that they’ve signed wide receiver David Moore.

The new Panthers head coach was the Seahawks WRs coach when Seattle added Moore as a seventh-round pick in 2017. Then, when Canales was brought in as the Buccaneers offensive coordinator last year, Moore soon followed. The wideout also spent the 2023 season playing under new Panthers OC Brad Idzik, who served as Tampa Bay’s wide receivers coach in 2023.

The veteran received hasn’t produced much in recent years; his five-catch showing with Tampa Bay in 2023 marked his most productive campaign since 2020. Moore earned his worth last season thanks to a pair of huge plays. He had a 52-yard touchdown that capped a win over the Packers, and he caught a 44-yard score in the Buccaneers’ playoff win over the Eagles.

Moore previously showed a nose for the end zone during his time in Seattle. The receiver had 13 touchdowns between 2018 and 2020 despite never being higher than third on the depth chart. The veteran will likely slide in towards the bottom of the WR pecking order in Carolina. The team returns both Adam Thielen and Jonathan Mingo, and they’ve added Diontae Johnson this offseason via trade.

The Panthers also made a move on defense, adding linebacker Justin Strnad on a one-year deal, per Joe Person of The Athletic. Similar to Moore, Strnad is also familiar with the coaching staff, having played under DC Ejiro Evero when the coach held the same role in Denver. Strnad spent the first four years of his career with the Broncos, compiling 46 tackles while seeing the majority of his snaps on special teams.

Panthers To Sign OT Yosh Nijman

March 18th, 2024 at 8:28pm CST by Ben Levine

The Panthers have been seeking some offensive tackle depth, and they found an answer in a former Packers starter. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Panthers have signed free agent tackle Yosh Nijman.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that Nijman is inking a two-year deal worth $8MM. The contract can hit a max value of $15MM and contains $5MM in guaranteed money.

Nijman joined the Packers as an undrafted free agent out of Virginia Tech in 2019. After redshirting as a rookie and mostly playing special teams as a sophomore, Nijman got more offensive reps during his third season in the NFL.

After starting eight games in 2021, Nijman started a career-high 13 games blocking for Aaron Rodgers in 2022. Despite the uptick in playing time, the OT only ranked 54th on Pro Football Focus’ positional rankings that season. Nijman reverted to a backup role in 2023, starting only one of his 17 appearances.

The Panthers have invested in guards this offseason, adding both Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis to their starting lineup. The team is now adding some experience to the tackle spot, where Nijman will likely compete with Brady Christensen to serve as the swing tackle behind Taylor Moton and Ikem Ekwonu.

Jets Continuing To Explore Trade Market For WRs; Latest On Tee Higgins

March 17th, 2024 at 10:39am CST by Rory Parks

Even as they have set about overhauling their offensive line, the Jets have been linked to a number of wide receivers in the free agent and trade markets. For instance, New York was reportedly interested in trading for Keenan Allen before the Chargers shipped him to the Bears, and the club inquired on Jerry Jeudy as well. Likewise, Gang Green is believed to have interest in FA Tyler Boyd and will soon visit with the recently-released Mike Williams.

As of the time of this writing, GM Joe Douglas has been unable to add to Aaron Rodgers‘ contingent of pass catchers. Unsurprisingly, however, Douglas is still exploring the trade market, as ESPN’s Rich Cimini writes.

It is unclear if Douglas will have much success in that regard. While Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins has requested a trade, Cincinnati has stated that it intends to keep the franchise-tagged talent, and per Albert Breer of SI.com, that is not just GM-speak. The club truly does want to run back the Ja’Marr Chase/Higgins tandem for at least one more season, and Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports says no trade conversations between the Bengals and the Panthers, another team in search of WR help, have taken place. Per Jones, Carolina and Cincinnati are unlikely to line up on a Higgins trade, even though the Panthers now have pick nos. 33 and 39 to offer.

On the other hand, Breer thinks that the Bengals may get an offer that is too good to turn down as the draft approaches, just as the Titans did when they dealt A.J. Brown on draft night several years ago (although that ill-fated decision on Tennessee’s part may prove to be a cautionary tale for Cincinnati). Whether such an offer is made, and whether that offer comes from Douglas — who is under pressure to win now — remains to be seen.

Instead of a trade for a player like Higgins or the 49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk — who may or may not be in line for a second contract with San Francisco — Cimini believes it is more logical to add a mid-tier FA like Boyd while taking advantage of a deep pool of collegiate wideouts. Although the Jets are without a second-round choice in 2024 and will therefore not make their second selection until they are on the clock with the No. 72 overall pick, the depth of this year’s WR class means that they can still get an impact player with that pick.

In addition to Williams and Boyd, Cimini says Odell Beckham Jr. could be a Douglas target in free agency. The Ravens aggressively outbid other suitors, including the Jets, for Beckham’s services last year, but even though Beckham turned in a mostly healthy season and was a key complementary piece in Baltimore’s passing game in 2023, the club is unlikely to re-sign him. Beckham will likely not come close to the $15MM guarantee he secured from the Ravens, and Douglas could view him as a worthy ancillary weapon who could be had for a relatively low cost.

Panthers To Host Mike Williams, Michael Gallup; Jets To Meet With Ex-Chargers WR

March 16th, 2024 at 11:03pm CST by Ely Allen

Last year, the Panthers made a number of big moves in order to acquire receiving weapons for their rookie quarterback, Bryce Young, signing wide receivers Adam Thielen and DJ Chark and tight end Hayden Hurst before also drafting Ole Miss wide receiver Jonathan Mingo in the second round.

Carolina continues to strive to build around Young this offseason. After trading for Steelers veteran Diontae Johnson, the team is set to host two more wideouts to add to their corps.

Newly released wide receiver Michael Gallup didn’t have to wait long to hear from interested teams. He’ll head to Carolina this week for a free agent visit, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The Cowboys cut ties with Gallup yesterday following his third straight season in which he failed to amass 500 receiving yards. Gallup showed promise over the first three years of his career.

After a rookie season in which he caught 33 balls for 507 yards and two touchdowns, he exploded onto the scene with double the receptions, 1,107 yards, and six touchdowns in a successful sophomore campaign. He followed that up with 843 yards and five touchdowns in the 2020 season before entering his current slump.

Last night, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer informed us that the Panthers would also host former Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams for a visit next Tuesday. Los Angeles released Williams this week in order to clear $20MM of cap space as the team desperately tried to get within salary cap compliance. Williams is coming off a year in which he missed 14 games due to a torn ACL. He’s still 29 years old, though, and is only two years removed from a year in which he had career highs in receptions (76), receiving yards (1,146), and touchdowns (9).

Carolina isn’t the only scheduled visit for Williams. Per Sheena Quick of FOX Sports, the veteran wideout will visit the Jets the day before heading to Carolina.

New York has used the free agency period so far to completely rebuild their offensive line and secure a more reliable backup quarterback behind Aaron Rodgers. Now the team will need to focus on adding to a wide receiving corps that saw only Garrett Wilson surpass running back Breece Hall in receiving yards in 2023. The Jets did reportedly consider trading for Williams’ former teammate, Keenan Allen, but the veteran ultimately found himself in Chicago. Barring any other additions, Williams would be joining Wilson, Allen Lazard, and Xavier Gipson in New York.

In Carolina, Gallup and Williams both represent decent fits for a room with two experienced wideouts already in place. A top-three group of Thielen, Johnson, and Mingo seems like it’d be an adequate corps to roll into the 2024 season with, but adding Gallup or Williams doesn’t necessarily make it a crowded room. Williams is clearly the bigger get of the two and would challenge Thielen or Johnson for a WR1 or WR2 role, but he has plenty of experience sharing the spotlight during his several years with Allen in California. Gallup, too, has worked in crowded rooms before, and would fit more squarely as a WR3 or WR4, allowing Thielen and Johnson to comfortably take the lead.

The Panthers will have a chance to sell a fit to both receivers in the coming week. Despite a league-worst 2-15 record last year, Carolina has made it clear that their strategy from the last offseason hasn’t changed. They intend to build their offense around Young, and they’ll look to bring in Williams or Gallup to assist with that.

Panthers To Add S Jordan Fuller

March 15th, 2024 at 3:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Rams came to terms with Kamren Curl late Thursday night. Curl will proceed to take over for Jordan Fuller, whose Panthers visit will produce an agreement.

Carolina is adding the longtime Los Angeles starter, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. It is a one-year deal worth up to $5.25MM, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero adds. Fuller will step in after the Panthers moved on from Vonn Bell one year into a three-year deal.

For Fuller, this will bring a reunion with former position coach Ejiro Evero. After the Panthers added one of Evero’s ex-Broncos starters — linebacker Josey Jewell — they will give him one of his old Rams pupils. Evero coached Fuller from 2020-21, working as Rams safeties coach and then DBs coach in that span.

Fuller ran into a couple of bad injury breaks in Los Angeles. The former sixth-round success story saw an ankle injury sustained in Week 18 of the 2021 season keep him out of the Rams’ ensuing playoff run that ended with a Super Bowl LVI win. A hamstring injury then managed to end Fuller’s 2022 slate after just three games. The Rams ran into some IR-activation issues that season, but Fuller did not establish much momentum despite commandeering a starting job as a Day 3 rookie in 2020. Last season did bring a resurgence; Fuller started all 18 Rams games and intercepted three passes while also forcing three fumbles.

A new coaching staff is coming in once again, but Carolina made a point to retain Evero. It is then unsurprising the team is giving the popular interviewee some of his former defenders. Fuller, 26, should still feature some upside. He will attempt to use this season as a means to securing a more lucrative contract.

The Panthers have released Bell and let Jeremy Chinn join the Commanders. A former Defensive Rookie of the Year silver medalist, Chinn had fallen out of favor in Evero’s scheme. The team still has starter Xavier Woods under contract; he will be set to team with Fuller as the Panthers aim to rebound from a woeful 2023 season.

Panthers To Sign OLB K’Lavon Chaisson

March 15th, 2024 at 10:54am CST by Sam Robinson

The Panthers met with Jadeveon Clowney on Thursday, but the team is waiting out other clubs’ interest. Clowney is meeting with the Jets on Tuesday. In the meantime, Carolina has added two edge rushers.

K’Lavon Chaisson will follow D.J. Wonnum to Charlotte. The former Jaguars first-round pick is joining the Panthers on a one-year deal worth up to $5MM, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Chaisson disappointed in Jacksonville, but Carolina will provide a second chance for the LSU alum.

Chosen with one of the picks obtained in the Jalen Ramsey trade, Chaisson could not establish himself as a starter or a productive rotational rusher with the Jaguars. He will head to Charlotte with just five career sacks. Though, he did notch two of those last season. The Jags used Chaisson as a starter in just 11 games during his four-year tenure. During Doug Pederson‘s two-year run, Chaisson logged 18% and 25% snap shares on defense.

Chaisson, 24, posted eight QB hits last season while playing 17 games as a backup. Wonnum has a better history as a sack artist, having registered 23 on his Vikings rookie contract. Chaisson profiles as more of a flier who should probably not be considered a lock to make the team. After the Jags passed on Chaisson’s fifth-year option, he came up in trades. As expected, a Jags regime that did not draft the former SEC standout is moving on.

Trading Brian Burns for an underwhelming haul (second- and fifth-round picks) and seeing Yetur Gross-Matos join the 49ers, the Panthers are starting over on the edge. Hybrid pass rusher Frankie Luvu is also bound for Washington. Burns, Luvu and Gross-Matos combined for 18 of the Panthers’ NFL-low 27 sacks last season.

Panthers To Meet With Jadeveon Clowney; Jets, Ravens Interested

March 14th, 2024 at 8:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 14: Clowney has another suitor in the Jets. The defensive lineman will visit with the Jets next week, according to Garafolo. The veteran will consider “multiple options” before making his decision. Clowney’s Jets visit is set for Tuesday, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.

The Jets are in natural need of some reinforcement on the edge. The team lost Bryce Huff to the Eagles, opening close to 500 defensive snaps alongside Jermaine Johnson and John Franklin-Myers.

MARCH 13: Known to take his time during free agency, Jadeveon Clowney has spent the 2020s journeying the league on one-year deals. The South Carolina alum’s next trip will be in a familiar region.

The Rock Hill, South Carolina, native is set to make a trip to visit the Panthers, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo. A few teams are monitoring the Clowney market; this includes the Ravens, who coaxed a quality season from the nomadic pass rusher in 2023. The Panthers are meeting with Clowney, Chase Young and D.J. Wonnum on Thursday, ESPN’s David Newton tweets.

It took Clowney until mid-August to land a deal last year, and the former No. 1 overall pick’s Baltimore pact was worth only $2.5MM. After another bounce-back season, the South Carolina alum can aim higher. Clowney has never secured a long-term deal since the expiration of his Texans rookie contract, but he has done well for himself on this bevy of one-year agreements. Though, the edge defender has never come especially close to the kind of top-market contract that once seemed in play while he was in Houston.

En route to a No. 1 defensive ranking, the Ravens received Clowney’s top sack season. Known more for an all-around game, Clowney has never reached double-digit sacks in a season. His three Pro Bowls came back in Houston. But the once-elite prospect has four seasons with at least nine sacks on his resume.

Injury issues and inconsistency have impeded Clowney on the contract front, as he was not especially productive in Seattle, Tennessee or during his second year in Cleveland. But he did total nine sacks opposite Myles Garrett in 2021 while helping a previously edge-deficient Ravens team thrive — opposite September addition Kyle Van Noy — last season. Clowney totaled 19 QB hits for the second time in three years.

The Panthers made a rather surprising decision to accept second- and fifth-round picks from the Giants to wrap their years-long Brian Burns saga. That tag-and-trade transaction leaves the Panthers with next to nothing at edge rusher, with former second-round pick Yetur Gross-Matos agreeing to a two-year, $18MM 49ers deal as well. Clowney would help, though the move would remind — to a degree, at least — of last year’s Justin Houston stopgap addition.

Mentioned as being interested in retaining Clowney earlier this week, the Ravens are again in need on the edge. Their most recent band-aid pass rushers — Clowney and Van Noy — are both free agents. While Baltimore extended Justin Madubuike on a deal that set up the big-ticket Chris Jones and Christian Wilkins contracts, the team needs to fill out its outside linebacker depth chart once again.

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