HEADLINES

Derek Anderson

Panthers In Talks With QB Derek Anderson

April 24th, 2018 at 11:05am CST by Zachary Links

The door remains open for a Derek Anderson return in Charlotte. The Panthers are in talks with the quarterback, GM Marty Hurney tells reporters (Twitter link via Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer). However, Hurney cited former Packers GM Ron Wolf’s belief that teams should take a quarterback in every draft, so it’s not a given that Anderson will return. Even if he does, he might not handed the No. 2 job behind Cam Newton. 

Aside from starter Cam Newton, the only other signal callers on Carolina’s roster are Garrett Gilbert and Taylor Heinicke. Combined, they have thrown exactly one NFL pass. That attempt belongs to Heinicke, who threw one pass for the Texans in relief of T.J. Yates against the Steelers in December. On the second drive of his career, Heinicke suffered a head injury as he was sacked and had to be taken off of the field.

Anderson has 76 career NFL appearances under his belt, but the Panthers can’t be blamed for exploring other backstops as he nears his 35th birthday. The veteran made a name for himself in 2007 when he led the Browns to a 10-5 record in his 15 starts, but he has not seen consistent action since his 2010 campaign with the Cardinals. For the last seven years, he has serve as Newton’s understudy.

Anderson’s last deal paid him $2.25MM per year and it stands to reason that he could earn a bit less on a new pact with the Panthers.

Extra Points: Dolphins, Chargers, Panthers

March 27th, 2018 at 9:37pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While the Dolphins may hope to select a quarterback in the first round of next month’s draft, many in the organization believe 2018’s Big Four — Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, Josh Rosen, and Josh Allen — will be off the board by the time Miami’s slot comes at No. 11, reports Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Views on projected starter Ryan Tannehill vary even among the Dolphins’ decision-makers, per Salguero, but he’ll be under center for Miami in Week 1 if the team doesn’t land a signal-caller in the draft, as the only other quarterbacks on the Dolphins’ depth chart are Brock Osweiler, David Fales, and Brandon Doughty. Jay Cutler, who started 14 games for Miami in 2017, won’t be re-signed, leaving Tannehill and his recovering knee as the only viable starting option.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

  • After being suspended four games for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy, Chargers defensive tackle Corey Liuget is not in danger of being released, according to Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com, who adds Los Angeles will not seek to restructure Liuget’s contract. Liuget, 28, is slated to earn $8MM for the upcoming season, so he’ll lose out on $2MM in base salary. The former first-round pick appeared in 12 games in 2017, posting 15 tackles and 1.5 sacks while grading as the NFL’s No. 32 interior run defender, per Pro Football Focus. Liuget was especially proficient as a pass rusher, as his 81.8 grade ranked 15th among defensive tackles
  • Although the Panthers are unlikely to make any more major moves in free agency, they are still open to re-signing backup quarterback Derek Anderson, per David Newton of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Aside from starter Cam Newton, the only other signal-caller on Carolina’s roster is Garrett Gilbert, who has never attempted an NFL pass. Anderson, who earned $2.25MM annually on his previous Panthers contract, has spent the past seven years as Newton’s backup. The backup quarterback market is rapidly thinning, but available options include Mark Sanchez, Kellen Clemens, and Geno Smith.
  • Running back Mike Davis‘ new one-year deal with the Seahawks is worth $1.35MM, reports Brady Henderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Davis received a $350K signing bonus — the only guaranteed portion of the contract — an can earn $200K in per-game roster bonuses. Seattle opted not to tender Davis a restricted free agent, but will now retain at a cost about $600K cheaper than the lowest RFA tender. Davis, 25, is part of complicated Seahawks’ backfield that also includes Chris Carson, J.D. McKissic, and C.J. Prosise.
  • The NFL has instituted a rule banning players from lowering their helmet to initiate contact, tweets Mark Maske of the Washington Post, who adds players can be ejected for doing violating the rule. The league will continue to work on the details of the rule and announce further revisions in May, as Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com writes.

Panthers Extend Derek Anderson

September 4th, 2015 at 12:33pm CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 12:33pm: Adam Caplan of ESPN.com provides some specifics on Anderson’s extension, tweeting that the veteran quarterback gets $4.7MM for the two new years, including $1.5MM guaranteed.

WEDNESDAY, 12:37pm: Anderson’s two-year extension is worth $5MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

12:12pm: After locking up their starting quarterback, Cam Newton, to a long-term contract earlier in the offseason, the Panthers have extended their No. 2 signal-caller as well. According to a team release, Derek Anderson has added two years to his deal with the Panthers, keeping him under team control through the 2017 season. Anderson’s contract had previously been set to expire after this year.

“Derek adds stability to the quarterback position as the backup, and we have tremendous confidence in him,” head coach Ron Rivera said in a statement. “His experience and veteran leadership has been important in the quarterbacks room and with the coaches. We’re securing a veteran player who has been a big part of what we’re building.”

Anderson, who has been with the Panthers since 2011, saw his first two starts for the team in 2014 when Newton went down, and led the club to victories in both of those games, throwing five touchdowns to no interceptions and completing 67.0% of his passes. It was arguably the best stretch in his career since he earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2007 after winning 10 of 15 starts for the Browns.

Earning a salary of $1.175MM in 2015, Anderson isn’t among the league’s highest-paid backups, though the 32-year-old figures to be in line for at least a small raise on his new deal, which he called a “no-brainer.”

Panthers Notes: Newton, Webb, Receivers

June 21st, 2014 at 6:56pm CST by Ben Levine

After Panthers minicamp wrapped up on Thursday, the Charlotte Observer’s Joe Person compiled his 20 observations from the team’s OTA. Let’s take a look at some of those notes…

  • Cam Newton made an unexpected appearance at camp on Thursday, throwing in three seven-on-seven drills. The quarterback had a rough start, missing on seven of his first ten throws. Person notes how important it is for Newton to be ready for training camp so he can “develop timing” with all of his new receivers.
  • Two of the team’s offseason signings at wideout, Jerricho Cotchery and Jason Avant, are very similar and the writer can’t see the players playing together in two-receiver sets.
  • Receiver Kealoha Pilares is “almost a lock” to make the roster because of his receiving skills.
  • Quarterback Joe Webb looked good on some runs, but he failed to show the consistency demonstrated by likely number-two quarterback Derek Anderson. Still, Webb’s experience at receiver makes him an “intriguing candidate” for a final roster spot.
  • The team is going to have some difficult decisions to make when choosing the backups for tight end Greg Olsen. Veteran Ed Dickson had some success with the Ravens and Brandon Williams has shown improvement in training camp. The team also has blocking tight ends Mike McNeill and D.C. Jefferson.

Panthers Re-Sign Derek Anderson

March 13th, 2014 at 3:56pm CST by Luke Adams

3:56pm: Anderson’s new contract with the Panthers is a two-year pact, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.

11:36am: Another backup quarterback is off the free agent market, as Derek Anderson tweeted today that he has re-signed with the Panthers: “Happy to be coming back to Charlotte next season! #keeppounding #wantthatring.” Anderson is expected to serve as the team’s No. 2 signal-caller behind Cam Newton.

Anderson, who has been with the Panthers since 2011, hasn’t seen the field much in the last three seasons thanks to the good health of Newton, who has yet to miss an NFL game. In 2013, Anderson saw action in just four contests, and didn’t throw a single post.