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Stephon Gilmore

Panthers Expected To Let Matt Paradis Depart In Free Agency; Latest On FA Plans

March 6th, 2022 at 10:13am CST by Rory Parks

As Joseph Person of The Athletic (subscription required) writes, the Panthers are likely to part ways with center Matt Paradis, who is eligible for free agency. Pat Elflein, who opened the 2021 season as Carolina’s left guard but who moved over to center following Paradis’ injury, is likely to continue as the starting pivot despite his struggles in that role.

Paradis, 32, signed a three-year, $27MM contract with the Panthers in March 2019, and he started every game for the club from Week 1 of the 2019 season through Week 9 of the 2021 campaign. Unfortunately, a torn ACL suffered in that Week 9 contest ended his walk year prematurely, and it leaves him in a less-than-desirable position as he hits the open market for the second time in his career (interestingly, when he hooked on with the Panthers in 2019, he was coming off a serious leg injury that he sustained in November 2018, which may have limited his earnings then in the same way that his recent ACL tear will limit his earnings now).

Still, given his track record as a solid starter and the fact that he has been quite durable except when he’s playing out a contract year, he should garner a fair amount of attention from teams in need of a center. The Bengals, Jets, and Jaguars are all rumored to be interested in Bucs center Ryan Jensen, and Tampa Bay wants to retain its four-year starter. The losers of the Jensen sweepstakes could turn to Paradis, and the Ravens, who may be unable to afford a new contract for Bradley Bozeman, could also be in play.

The Panthers, meanwhile, will have plenty of work to do on the O-line. Luckily for them, this year’s college class is deep at the LT position, and Carolina could net a high-quality prospect even if it trades down from its No. 6 overall selection. In a separate piece (subscription required), Person opines that the Panthers will not be in the market for a high-priced free agent like longtime division-rival Terron Armstead, so the draft would be the place to nab a blindside blocker. Person does expect the team to sign a free agent guard, and while Brandon Scherff and Laken Tomlinson may be too pricey, old friend Andrew Norwell or Bears OL James Daniels could be viable targets.

In related news, Person says the Panthers do want edge defender Haason Reddick back, but only if the price is right. We recently heard that Reddick is likely to test the open market for the second year in a row. And while the club has not shut the door on a new contract for CB Stephon Gilmore, Person hears that the team is prioritizing a deal with fellow corner Donte Jackson, who is five years younger than Gilmore (both players are also eligible for free agency). GM Scott Fitterer is also doing his due diligence on available safeties.

Finally, the Panthers reportedly want to re-sign K Zane Gonzalez and may be eyeing P Pat O’Donnell as a replacement for Lachlan Edwards.

NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 1/12/22

January 12th, 2022 at 10:46pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s updates for the reserve/COVID-19 and practice squad/COVID-19 lists:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Maxx Williams (remains on IR)

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: TE Mark Vital

New England Patriots

San Francisco 49ers

  • Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: QB Tyler Bray

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Football Team

  • Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: DT David Bada

NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 1/6/22

January 6th, 2022 at 9:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the Thursday additions and subtractions from teams’ reserve/COVID-19 lists:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Panthers Expected To Activate CB Stephon Gilmore

October 30th, 2021 at 9:58am CST by Ben Levine

Stephon Gilmore is set to make his Panthers debut. The team is planning to activate the All-Pro cornerback off the PUP for tomorrow’s game against the Falcons, reports ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (via Twitter).

Per Fowler (on Twitter), Gilmore had been “trending” towards playing this weekend. The team practiced today, and the cornerback apparently showed enough to justify his activation. The Panthers opened Gilmore’s practice window earlier this month, so the player’s season debut was always going to come sooner than later.

At the beginning of the month, the Panthers sent the Pats a sixth-round pick and took on the contract-year corner’s remaining $5.8MM in base salary. While the organization will still have to figure out a long-term pact for the former Defensive Player of the Year, the move was a worthy risk. At his best, Gilmore was one of the best defenders in the NFL during his first few seasons in New England. 2020 was a down year for the veteran, although a quad injury likely played a role in his reduced production.

The 31-year-old will now help replace first-round pick Jaycee Horn, who is out with a broken foot. Gilmore now headlines a Panthers CB group with Donte Jackson, former top-10 pick C.J. Henderson, A.J. Bouye, and Rashaan Melvin.

Latest On Panthers’ Stephon Gilmore

October 18th, 2021 at 11:24am CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers are set to open Stephon Gilmore’s practice window this week (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Once he’s off of the PUP list, the cornerback will be one step closer to making his 2021 debut. 

[RELATED: Patriots Tried To Restructure Gilmore’s Deal]

It’s not clear whether Gilmore will be ready to go for Week 7 against the Giants, but he should be ready to go sometime soon. Gilmore could probably use some extra time to prepare after months of rehab on his torn quad.

Gilmore didn’t get to pick his team, but things worked out pretty well for him. The Pats were initially set to release Gilmore before they shipped him to the Panthers — a “dream come true” for the South Carolina native.

“I always wanted to [play for the Panthers], growing up as a kid,” Gilmore said (via the team website). “Some things you can’t control. But I always thought about it as a kid, and you always dreamed about it. But it happened, and I’m happy it happened.”

Once Gilmore returns, he’ll team with Donte Jackson to solidify the Panthers’ secondary.

Patriots Attempted To Restructure Stephon Gilmore’s Deal

October 9th, 2021 at 2:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

After four seasons with the Patriots, Stephon Gilmore is now on the Panthers’ PUP list. The Pats ended the All-Pro cornerback’s contract saga by trading him, but they did offer a restructure of sorts in an effort to retain the standout cover man.

New England offered Gilmore a restructure, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com, though it sounds like this was to be an incentive-laden pay bump. Gilmore taking home more cash than his $7MM 2021 base salary would have hinged on his participation and performance level, Garafolo adds (video link).

Rather than a true extension, it appears New England continued its approach of incentive proposals. The Pats did this with Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski in 2018. The Pats gave Gilmore a pay raise in 2020, but the sides could not agree on terms that would have kept him in Massachusetts for the remainder of this season.

Gilmore joining the likes of ex-Patriot stalwarts Lawyer Milloy and Richard Seymour in being dealt rather than given an extension that would have covered their early-30s seasons represents a potential impact decision for the Panthers, who acquired the 31-year-old corner for a mere sixth-round pick in 2023. They were far from the only Gilmore suitor.

The Pats made it known they were prepared to cut Gilmore. Rather than take their chances at winning a free agency battle, the Panthers sent the Pats a pick and took on the contract-year corner’s remaining $5.8MM in base salary. Gilmore’s salary dissuaded other teams from making trade proposals, but Garafolo notes recruiting pitches — some from star quarterbacks — came in. Top QBs sent Gilmore texts about potential free agency deals, but the Panthers did not let this process reach that point. The Packers were one of the teams interested, with Davante Adams being one of their lead recruiters.

The 10th-year defender is expected to come off Carolina’s PUP list in Week 6. He has not participated in practice since suffering a torn quad last season, but the Panthers will count on the former Defensive Player of the Year to lead their cornerback contingent — one that may be down Jaycee Horn for the rest of the season. Horn is not yet shut down, however. The Pats are moving forward with J.C. Jackson and free agent acquisition Jalen Mills as their top boundary corners. Mills, however, will miss Week 5 due to injury.

Stephon Gilmore: Panthers Trade “Dream Come True”

October 8th, 2021 at 12:33pm CST by Zachary Links

Stephon Gilmore didn’t get to pick his team, but he couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. Hours after being traded from the Patriots, the cornerback told the team website that playing for the Panthers is a “dream come true.” 

[RELATED: Patriots Trade Stephon Gilmore To Panthers]

“I always wanted to, growing up as a kid,” Gilmore said. “Some things you can’t control. But I always thought about it as a kid, and you always dreamed about it. But it happened, and I’m happy it happened.”

Gilmore spent years pushing the Patriots for a new contract. Ultimately, in vintage Pats fashion, they chose to move on instead. For his part, Gilmore has agreed to table talks until after the season. After that, it sounds like he’d be pretty open to staying in Carolina.

“I think so,” said Gilmore when asked if he’d have signed with the Panthers if he was released this week. “This is a place I always wanted to play. Looking at the team and what they’ve got, the potential. Obviously, you have to put in a lot of hard work to get to where you want to go. For sure, I think it was a great opportunity I would come here.”

Ideally, the Panthers would like to retain both Gilmore and 25-year-old corner Donte Jackson this spring. In the meantime, Gilmore is strictly focused on returning to the field. Still on the PUP list with a quad injury, Gilmore hopes to debut sometime in the next few weeks.

Latest On CB Stephon Gilmore, Potential Extension With Panthers

October 7th, 2021 at 8:45pm CST by Ben Levine

After acquiring former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore from the Patriots, Panthers GM Scott Fitterer said the team would not immediately extend their acquisition. However, that doesn’t mean the doesn’t intend to eventually sign their acquisition. Per Jeff Howe and Joseph Person of The Athletic, “the Panthers’ intention is to sign Gilmore to a contract extension.”

[RELATED: Gilmore Extension Not Yet In Panthers’ Plans]

The organization understands that they’ll have to pay up if they hope to keep Gilmore in Carolina for the long haul. Before they make that pricey investment, the team wants to see what Gilmore looks like on the field. The star cornerback missed five games last year and is guaranteed to miss the first six this season due to a quadriceps injury he sustained late in 2020. The team sounds optimistic that Gilmore will return once his six-week stint on the PUP comes to an end, but the front office is still being fiscally responsible before handing out an extension.

Per Howe and Person, Gilmore’s contract issues with the Patriots apparently won’t travel to Carolina. The cornerback “will report to the Panthers and won’t demand a new contract before suiting up.” The veteran also wants to assure that “the defensive fit is as strong as it appears on paper” before committing long-term to the organization.

The Athletic piece has plenty of other notable details regarding the Gilmore trade. Specifically, while the Packers had previously been connected to the cornerback, apparently a pair of AFC teams made offers to the Patriots, and those two squads dissuaded the Panthers from making a run at Gilmore in free agency (and persuaded them to make a trade).

Packers Explored Stephon Gilmore Trade

October 6th, 2021 at 6:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

When it became known the Patriots were moving on from Stephon Gilmore, reports linked the All-Pro cornerback to the Packers. However, the Panthers instead made the move to land him.

The Packers did try to acquire Gilmore, according to ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky, who notes the team explored ways to add his contract. Gilmore’s expiring deal has $5.8MM remaining this season; the Packers have just more than $7MM in cap space.

While the team could have afforded Gilmore, it would have been up against the cap. The Packers made contact with the Patriots once their desire to move on became known, per Demovsky, who adds the 10th-year corner wanted a monster extension to go with any trade. Considering how little the Patriots received for Gilmore without the extension requirement, this demand was quickly dropped. Gilmore, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, wanted to play for the Packers (video link via 98.5 The Sports Hub). But he ended up in Carolina, which has now acquired Gilmore and 2020 first-round corner C.J. Henderson.

Green Bay did make a move at corner Wednesday, signing Rasul Douglas off Arizona’s practice squad. The Packers have Jaire Alexander expected to miss at least Week 5, and it sounds like a longer absence is in play. Matt LaFleur said the team will try to avoid its top corner undergoing surgery “at all costs,” via Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (on Twitter), but it remains to be seen when Alexander will be ready to return. Alexander suffered a shoulder injury late in the Packers’ Week 4 win over the Steelers. Shoulder surgery likely would end Alexander’s season and deal a huge blow to Green Bay’s Super Bowl aspirations.

With Alexander down and Gilmore now on the Panthers’ PUP list, Green Bay does have some depth on which to lean. The Pack drafted Eric Stokes in Round 1 and re-signed Kevin King. The team traded Josh Jackson straight up for Isaac Yiadom this summer and drafted Shemar Jean-Charles in the fifth round. Fourth-year defender Chandon Sullivan, however, saw his workload boosted after Alexander’s injury.

Gilmore Extension Not Yet In Panthers’ Plans

October 6th, 2021 at 4:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Panthers made a second major addition to their cornerback group Wednesday, acquiring former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore from the Patriots. This followed Carolina’s trade for C.J. Henderson.

Carolina now takes on Gilmore’s contract. While Gilmore is attached to the $13MM-per-year deal he signed in 2017, he is due less than $7MM in 2021 base salary going forward. Gilmore’s contract expires after this season, but Panthers GM Scott Fitterer said the team will not immediately extend him post-trade (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s David Newton).

Gilmore expressed disappointment regarding his contract for years in New England, when he outplayed the deal he signed after coming over from Buffalo. He skipped the Patriots’ offseason program this year. Since his two All-Pro nods, however, Gilmore missed five games last year and is guaranteed to miss the first six this season due to the quadriceps injury he sustained late in 2020.

Fitterer does expect Gilmore to be ready to come off the PUP list when first eligible in Week 7, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Carolina’s new GM would seem to have extensive information on Gilmore, as they live next to each other in Charlotte. Gilmore is a South Carolina native who starred with the Gamecocks in college.

Gilmore turned 31 last month, and a potential re-up with the Panthers will likely hinge on his 2021 performance. While a high-cost short-term deal might be in the cards after a strong season, Gilmore’s window to land Jalen Ramsey-level money is likely closed. The corner’s camp acknowledged as much earlier this year, though Gilmore’s team did float Darius Slay‘s three-year, $50MM Eagles deal as a comp during his discussions with the Pats.

The Panthers have reshaped their cornerback room via the trade market, but they are not giving up on Jaycee Horn coming back this season. Carolina’s first-round pick broke three broken bones in his foot during the team’s Week 3 win and landed on IR. He was said to be conversing with his camp about the best course of action — be it a late-season return or preparing for the 2022 season. The Panthers remain hopeful the former scenario can come to pass, Fitterer said (via Newton, on Twitter). Matt Rhule said late last month Horn was set to undergo surgery. A two- to three-month recovery timetable is in the cards with that operation.

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