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Cory Harkey

Panthers Notes: ST Coordinator, QBs Coach, Front Office

January 29th, 2024 at 7:55pm CST by Ben Levine

The Panthers have made some progress filling their coaching staff, but the team still has a vacancy at special teams coordinator. There’s now at least one known candidate for the job, as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the Panthers are interviewing Bills assistant special teams coach Cory Harkey for their coordinator job.

[RELATED: Panthers Likely To Hire Buccaneers’ Brad Idzik As OC]

Following his five-year playing career, Harkey caught on as a tight ends coach in the college ranks. He earned his first NFL coaching job with the Bills in 2022, and he spent the past two seasons as their assistant special teams coordinator. Harkey clearly made an impression in his role, as he’ll now have an opportunity for the top ST job in Carolina.

While Harkey will interview for the job, he may not be the favorite. Joe Person of The Athletic passes along that Panthers head coach Dave Canales is targeting Seattle’s Tracy Smith as his special teams coordinator. Smith has had two lengthy stints working alongside Canales in Seattle, most recently as an assistant special teams coach. He also spent three years with the Texans organization, including a 2020 campaign where he served as the team’s ST coordinator. With Pete Carroll out in Seattle, Smith likely wouldn’t see any opposition if he decides to take his coaching acumen to the Panthers.

The Panthers are reportedly zeroing in on Buccaneers wide receivers coach Brad Idzik as their next offensive coordinator, and while that move hasn’t been made official, that hasn’t stopped the organization from looking to fill out the rest of the offensive coaching staff. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Panthers requested an interview with Cowboys quality control/offensive assistant Will Harriger for their quarterbacks coach job.

Harriger worked alongside Canales when the two were in Seattle, so there’s a clear connection. The coach recently worked with USC’s quarterbacks during the 2022 season, helping Caleb Williams win the Heisman Trophy. In Carolina, he’d be tasked with guiding former first-overall pick Bryce Young.

As Canales looks to fill his coaching staff, new general manager Dan Morgan is eyeing some reinforcement in the front office. Backing up what we heard last week, ESPN’s Adam Schefter passes along that the Panthers are expected to pursue Chiefs vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis for a “prominent” front office role. Albert Breer of SI.com passes along that Tilis’ office in Kansas City has already been cleared out, and the executive hasn’t traveled with the team during the postseason.

Tilis was a candidate for the Panthers GM job, and the long-time Chiefs executive was a popular name in recent hiring cycles. In Carolina, Tilis would be expected to play an essential cap/analytics role within the front office.

One executive who won’t be back in Carolina next season is Samir Suleiman. The team has moved on from the director of player negotiations/salary cap manager, per ESPN’s David Newton.

Coaching Notes: Ravens, Colts, Bills, Browns

February 24th, 2022 at 10:15pm CST by Ben Levine

Ken Norton Jr. is heading to the NCAA. The long-time coach is expected to join UCLA as their new linebackers coach, reports Bruce Feldman of The Athletic (via Twitter).

Norton Jr. started his coaching career with USC, but he’s been in the NFL since 2010. After winning three Super Bowl rings as a player, Norton Jr. added another championship to his resume as the Seahawks linebackers coach. After five seasons in Seattle, Norton Jr. was defensive coordinator for three years with the Raiders and four years with the Seahawks (second stint).

Norton Jr. was let go by Seattle following the 2021 campaign. Now, he’ll be joining Chip Kelly’s staff in Los Angeles.

More coaching notes:

  • The Ravens announced that they’ve officially promoted Anthony Weaver to be their assistant head coach/defensive line coach. Weaver had a long coaching stint with the Texans, culminating in him serving as their defensive coordinator in 2020. The 41-year-old joined the Ravens last year as their defensive line coach/run game coordinator.
  • Former NFL safety Mike Mitchell is joining the Colts staff as an assistant secondary coach, according to Stephen Holder of The Athletic (on Twitter). Mitchell had a 10-year playing career, including a one-year stint with Indianapolis. The Colts are also hiring Nate Ollie as their defensive line coach, per Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (via Twitter). Following two seasons with the Eagles, Ollie spent last season as the Jets assistant defensive line coach.
  • Bills secondary coach John Butler got a promotion, adding the role of defensive passing game coordinator to his title, according to Wilson. The veteran has spent the past four seasons as the secondary coach in Buffalo. The Bills also confirmed a number of additional hires, including Kyle Shurmur (defensive quality control coach), Nick Lacy (strength and conditioning assistant coach), Marcus West (assistant defensive line coach), Jaylon Finner (defensive quality control coach), Cory Harkey (assistant special teams coach), and Austin Gund (fellowship coach).
  • The Browns are expected to promote offensive assistant T.C. McCartney to tight ends coach, according to Wilson (on Twitter). The 32-year-old has bounced around the NFL a bit during his coaching journey. After spending the 2019 campaign as the Broncos quarterbacks coach, McCartney spent the 2020 season as an offensive assistant on the Browns.

NFC North Notes: Pack, Adams, Bears, Lions

October 3rd, 2017 at 9:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Even after absorbing a violent hit from Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan last week, Packers wide receiver Davante Adams may be in line to play in Week 5, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Adams was taken to the hospital following the hit — which resulted in a two-game suspension for Trevathan — and thankfully escaped with only a concussion. If available, the 24-year-old Adams would be a boon to Green Bay’s offense against the Cowboys on Sunday, as he’s recorded 16 receptions, 219 yards, and two scores thus far in 2017.

Here’s more from the NFC North:

  • The Bears‘ decision to start rookie Mitch Trubisky over Mike Glennon speaks to the No. 2 overall selection’s development this year, opines Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com. Trubisky, who started only 13 collegiate games before entering the NFL draft, was so raw that had to be taught how to take snaps under center in the spring, per Breer. But Trubisky has displayed so much improvement in the months since that Chicago formulated a plan to have the North Carolina product take starter’s practice reps in the fall. Of course, Glennon’s sub-par performance also made the Bears’ call a simple one, as the former Buccaneers ranks near the bottom of the league in nearly every quarterback metric.
  • The Lions took a look at tight ends Jace Amaro, Gavin Escobar, Cory Harkey, and David Johnson and linebackers Akeem Ayers, Andrew Gachkar, and Spencer Paysinger, today, reports veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (Twitter link). Detroit’s linebacker auditions are particularly notable, as the club just lost base package starter Paul Worrilow to an MCL strain. All three of Ayers, Gachkar, and Paysinger appeared in at least 15 games a season ago, but were mostly relegated to special teams duty.
  • Offensive tackles Andrew Wylie, Stephen Evans, and Storm Norton, plus running back Joel Bouagnon, worked out for the Packers on Tuesday, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Wylie went undrafted out of Eastern Michigan earlier this year, but signed with the Colts shortly thereafter. He took a spot on Indy’s practice squad until being waived in September. Bouagnon, too, is a rookie UDFA (Northern Illinois) who spent eight weeks with the Bears this summer.
  • The Bears auditioned safety Jordan Moore yesterday, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Moore, a rookie undrafted free agent out of the University of Texas at San Antonio, signed with the Falcons earlier this year but has been on the workout circuit since August.

Rams Make Cuts, Reach 53-Man Max

September 2nd, 2017 at 3:19pm CST by Zachary Links

The Rams added a player via trade on Saturday, but their real focus was on mass cuts to get down to the 53-man max. Here’s a rundown of their moves.

Waived:

  • DT Omarius Bryant
  • WR K.D. Cannon
  • OL Parker Collins
  • K Travis Coons
  • CB Carlos Davis
  • LB Kevin Davis (waived/injured)
  • OL Michael Dunn
  • OL Jake Eldrenkamp
  • LB Josh Forrest (waived/injured)
  • DB Tyquwan Glass
  • RB Aaron Green
  • DB Isaiah Johnson
  • DB Michael Jordan
  • OL Alex Kozan
  • OLB Willie Mays
  • LB Cassanova Mckinzy
  • WR Paul McRoberts
  • OLB Andy Mulumba
  • OL Pace Murphy
  • LB Folarin Orimolade
  • DB Aarion Penton
  • NT Mike Purcell
  • FB Sam Rogers
  • WR Shakeir Ryan
  • DT Casey Sayles
  • WR Brandon Shippen
  • WR Nelson Spruce (waived/injured)
  • OLB Carlos Thompson
  • RB Lenard Tillery (waived/injured)
  • OLB Orlovsky was signed in July, but he was facing long odds since the Rams already had Jared Goff and Sean Mannion as their top two QBs.
  • G Cody Wichmann
  • TE Travis Wilson

Released:

Reserve/Injured:

Reserve/PUP:

Reserve/Suspended:

Orlovsky was signed in July, but he was facing long odds since the Rams already had Jared Goff and Sean Mannion as their top two QBs. Since being drafted in 2005, the 34-year-old has made just 12 career starts.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/13/16

December 13th, 2016 at 6:28pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

  • The Seahawks have made a series of roster moves, announcing that they’ve signed running back Kelvin Taylor and cornerback Ronald Powell to their 53-man roster while placing running back Troymaine Pope and fullback Will Tukuafu on IR. Tay is the son of former NFL great Fred Taylor.
  • The Bears have signed tight end MyCole Pruitt off the Vikings‘ practice squad, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispacth, while Chicago announced that it has cleared a roster spot by waiving defensive back De’Vante Bausby. Pruitt, a 2015 fifth-round pick, has played in 18 games over the past two years.
  • The Packers will sign linebacker Jordan Tripp, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Tripp, primarily a special teamer, was recently waived off Seattle’s IR.
  • John Hughes won’t be staying home alone any longer, as the Buccaneers announced that they’ve re-signed the veteran defensive tackle. Hughes, 28, has already played in three games for Tampa this season.
  • The Ravens announced that they’ve placed running back Lorenzo Taliaferro on injured reserve and signed linebacker Lamar Louis to the active roster. Taliaferro, a 2014 fourth-round, hasn’t been able to get on the field in Baltimore, as he’s managed only 14 carries over the past two seasons. The Ravens are also promoting WR Michael Campanaro, tweets Jeff Zriebec of the Baltimore Sun.
  • The Rams have signed cornerback Troy Hill from the practice squad and placed tight end Cory Harkey on injured reserve, the team announced today. Hill had been waived following a DUI arrest, but has now earned a second chance on the roster.
  • The Bills signed safety Shamiel Gary and offensive lineman Michael Ola to the active roster, per a club announcement. Linebacker Bryson Albright has been waived in a corresponding transaction.
  • The Redskins announced that they’ve promoted linebacker Nick Moody from the practice squad to the active roster and placed defensive end Anthony Lanier on injured reserve. Lanier, 26, has 25 games of NFL experience under his belt since entering the league as a San Francisco draft pick in 2013.
  • The Cardinals have swapped out punters once again, announcing that they’ve waived Drew Butler in favor of Matt Wile, who was promoted from the practice squad. Arizona also signed quarterback Zac Dysert off the taxi squad.
  • The Falcons have re-signed cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson, the team announced today. BWW had just been waived last week in order to clear a spot for wide receiver depth.
  • The Browns announced that they’ve promoted DL Gabe Wright from the practice squad to active roster. Wright, a former Detroit draft pick, was claimed by Cleveland earlier this year.

Contract Details: Bruton, Soliai, M. Wallace

March 16th, 2016 at 5:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are specific details on several of the latest agreed-upon and signed contracts from around the NFL. All links are courtesy of Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle unless otherwise indicated…

NFC:

  • David Bruton, S (Washington): Three years, $9MM. $3.4MM guaranteed. $2.5MM signing bonus. $500K annual playing-time escalator in 2017 and 2018. $500K in incentives in 2018 (Twitter links via Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post).
  • Paul Soliai, DT (Panthers): Two years, $6.5MM. $3MM guaranteed. $2MM signing bonus. $740K in annual per-game active roster bonuses. $500K roster bonus due on the fifth day of the 2017 league year (Twitter link).
  • Leodis McKelvin, CB (Eagles): Two years, $6.2MM. $3MM guaranteed. $500K signing bonus. $1.2MM bonus due on fifth day of 2017 league year. $100K Pro Bowl incentive. $350K playing-time incentive (Twitter link).
  • Cory Harkey, TE (Rams): Three years, $5.7MM. $2.5MM guaranteed. $500K roster bonus due on 10th day of 2016 league year. $500K roster bonus due in 2017, guaranteed for skill and injury (Twitter link).
  • Rolando McClain, LB (Cowboys): One year, $4MM. $750K signing bonus. $1.25MM base salary. $2MM in per-game roster bonuses. Up to $1MM in playing-time and playoff incentives (Twitter link).
  • Rhett Ellison, TE (Vikings): One year, $1.75MM. $100K signing bonus. $790K in per-game active roster bonuses. Up to $500K in incentives (Twitter link).
  • Chris Givens, WR (Eagles): One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K signing bonus. $100K of $760K base salary is guaranteed (Twitter link via Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News).

AFC:

  • Mike Wallace, WR (Ravens): Two years, $11.5MM. $4.5MM signing bonus. $1MM roster bonus due on fifth day of 2017 league year. Option for second year to be exercised/declined prior to end of 2016 league year (Twitter links).
  • Matt Moore, QB (Dolphins): Two years, $3.55MM. $2.25MM guaranteed. $750K signing bonus. $1.25MM in annual incentives (Twitter link).
  • Sean Spence, LB (Titans): One year, $2.5MM. $500K signing bonus. $500K in per-game active roster bonuses (Twitter link).
  • Robert Turbin, RB (Colts): One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K in incentives for rushing yards (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today).

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/15/16

March 15th, 2016 at 5:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves:

  • The Rams have re-signed tight end Cory Harkey, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Harkey, whose primarily used as a blocker, saw time in all 16 regular season games in 2015. He did see some passes thrown his way, however, catching five balls for 26 yards.
  • Former Washington offensive lineman Tom Compton will be signing with the Falcons, according to Rand Getlin of NFL Network (on Twitter). It’s a new team for Compton, but he’ll have some familiar faces in offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and offensive line coach Chris Morgan.
  • The Falcons announced that they have signed safety Damian Parms, wide receiver Aldrick Robinson, and cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke. Robinson, a 5’10” receiver, played in 36 games for Washington over the years and recorded 30 receptions for 608 yards and five touchdowns in total. Robinson has also spent time on the Ravens’ taxi squad.

NFC Mailbags: Washington, Packers, Panthers, Cowboys, Rams

May 23rd, 2015 at 11:41am CST by Ben Levine

We took a look at ESPN.com’s AFC mailbags earlier this morning. Let’s now shift our focus over to the NFC…

  • Scot McCloughan made no changes to the Washington front office following his hiring, but John Keim believes there could be a simple explanation for the lack of turnover. McCloughan seemed to have a good “rhythm” with those remaining in the front office, and Keim hypothesizes that if the GM wanted to make moves, his targets may have been unavailable.
  • Despite Mike Neal‘s $4.25MM cap hit for 2015, Rob Demovsky says the Packers‘ linebacker is likely staying put. The 27-year-old was paid $1MM back in March, so if the team wanted to part ways with Neal, they likely would have done it earlier in the offseason.
  • The Panthers and outside linebacker Thomas Davis have been having ongoing discussions regarding an extension, according to David Newton. The writer adds that he’d be “shocked beyond belief” if the two sides didn’t come to an agreement prior to training camp, and he notes that Davis could be in line for a two or three-year extension.
  • Todd Archer was surprised that Cowboys assistant director of player personnel Will McClay‘s wasn’t mentioned more during the offseason GM searches. The writer wonders if other team’s want to see a larger body of work from McClay, who has only been running the Cowboys’ scouting department for a year.
  • The Rams could easily turn to undrafted rookie Zach Laskey for their fullback spot, writes Nick Wagoner. However, it could be difficult to bump Cory Harkey from the role, and Wagoner believes the tight end will see the bulk of the fullback snaps in 2015.

Rams Re-Sign Austin Davis, Other RFAs

April 20th, 2015 at 5:02pm CST by Luke Adams

With the team’s offseason workout program getting underway today, the Rams locked up several of their restricted and exclusive rights free agents, tweets Howard Balzer of the SportsXchange. According to Balzer, quarterback Austin Davis, safety Rodney McLeod, tight end Cory Harkey, and guard Brandon Washington all re-signed today with the Rams.

Davis, who started 2014 as the third quarterback on the Rams’ depth chart, eventually took over for Sam Bradford and Shaun Hill as the team’s starter for eight games, leading the club to a 3-5 record in those games. He compiled 2,001 passing yards to go along with a 63.4% completion rate and an 85.1 passer rating, earning him a low-end RFA tender from St. Louis. He and Harkey will both earn $1.542MM salaries in 2015.

While Davis is perhaps the most well-known player re-signed today by the Rams, McLeod should be the most important of the group in 2015. The 24-year-old has started all 32 games for the Rams at free safety over the last two seasons, totaling 151 tackles, four interceptions, five fumble recoveries, and four fumble recoveries during that stretch. He got a second-rounder tender from the club, putting him in line for a ’15 salary of $2.356MM.

Washington, who hasn’t seen any real playing time during his stint with the Rams, had been an exclusive right free agent.

Rams Tender Rodney McLeod, Two Others

March 6th, 2015 at 11:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier tonight, we heard that the Rams tendered offers to ensure that exclusive rights free agents Chase Reynolds and Brandon Washington remain with the team. However, those weren’t the only free agent tenders issued by the team on Friday. According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter links), the club also tendered offers to safety Rodney McLeod, quarterback Austin Davis, and tight end Cory Harkey.

McLeod, who was eligible for restricted free agency, was the only player of the trio to receive a second-round tender, worth $2.356MM. The offer ensures that if McLeod gets an offer to sign elsewhere, the Rams would have the opportunity to sign an offer sheet, and would receive a second-round pick as compensation if they chose to let him go. When I previewed the Rams’ offseason earlier in the week, I identified the safety as one of the free agents the team would make an effort to retain, since he has established himself as a solid starter and is still entering his prime.

Davis and Harkey were both eligible to be restricted free agents as well, and they received the minimum-level tender from the team — that’s a one-year offer worth $1.542MM. Of the two, Davis seems more likely to draw interest from another club, and if he were to sign an offer sheet, the Rams wouldn’t receive any compensation if they didn’t match the offer. Depending on what St. Louis decides to do with prospective free agent quarterback Shaun Hill, Davis could return to the team as the No. 2 signal-caller behind Sam Bradford next season.

Offensive lineman Tim Barnes, another potential restricted free agent, didn’t receive a tender offer from the Rams, meaning he’ll be an unrestricted free agent next week, tweets Thomas.