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Troy Hill

Bucs Sign CB Troy Hill To Practice Squad

October 29th, 2024 at 10:05pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Buccaneers are signing veteran cornerback Troy Hill to their practice squad, per Greg Auman of Fox Sports, fortifying Tampa Bay’s injured secondary.

Hill, a 10-year veteran, appeared in six games with two starts for the NFC South rival Panthers this season, recording 32 total tackles across 236 defensive snaps. He was released on October 18 as Carolina elected to give their young cornerbacks more developmental playing time after a 1-5 start.

With 119 total appearances and 60 starts under his belt, the 33-year-old Hill brings valuable veteran experience to the Buccaneers as they contend with multiple recent injuries to defensive backs. Bryce Hall suffered a fractured fibula and dislocated ankle in Week 1, and Jamel Dean joined him on injured reserve with a hamstring injury on October 21.

Tampa Bay used just three cornerbacks on defense in Week 9’s loss to the Falcons, so Hill could be in line for elevations from the practice squad as soon as he acclimates to his new team. The Buccaneers will be his sixth NFL team, suggesting that the veteran corner should be able to pick up the scheme and contribute to the defense quickly.

The Buccaneers released undrafted rookie linebacker Kalen DeLoach from their practice squad in a corresponding move.

Panthers To Release CB Troy Hill

October 18th, 2024 at 12:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

Troy Hill is set to hit mid-season free agency. The veteran corner is being released by the Panthers, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Carolina sits at 1-5 on the year, so it comes as little surprise the team is electing to move on from a veteran to open up playing time for younger options in the secondary. Hill’s contract was set to expire after the year anyway, but now he will be available to interested teams without a trade being necessary. Having been let go before the trade deadline, Hill will not be subject to waivers.

The 33-year-old joined the Panthers last August, landing a deal shortly before the start of the regular season. That one-year pact allowed him to reunite with defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, with whom he worked during their time together with the Rams. Hill logged a 50% snap share in 2023, notching 48 tackles, six pass deflections and one interception.

That production allowed him to remain in Carolina, and he agreed to a new deal before the start of free agency. Rather than playing out that pact (which was near veteran minimum), he will try to latch onto a roster midway through the campaign. This move will generate a roughly equal amount of dead money along with salary cap savings.

Hill saw considerable time on the outside earlier in his career, but more recently he has operated more in the slot. That skillset could help his value, although the former UDFA has struggled in coverage this season. Hill has landed outside the top 55 in terms of CB PFF grading over each of the past three years, and that will continue in 2024 if he is unable to deliver stronger performances on his next team. As a veteran of 60 starts, though, he could provide experienced secondary depth at a minimum to a contending team.

The Panthers have struggled in a number of areas this season, including against the pass (226 yards allowed per contest, 26th in the NFL). Moving on from Hill will pave the way for increased playing time for some of the team’s younger corner contributors, including fifth-round rookie Chau Smith-Wade. It will be interesting to see how much interest develops amongst teams looking to add Hill in short order.

Panthers Claim Three Cornerbacks, Add DB Lonnie Johnson

August 28th, 2024 at 11:20am CST by Sam Robinson

The Bryce Young trade prevented the Panthers from using their 2-15 record to land an impact prospect atop the draft. Carolina’s consolation prize comes months later, and the rebuilding team will use its top waiver position.

Cornerbacks are coming to Charlotte in droves. The Panthers have already used three claims on corners, bringing in Tariq Castro-Fields, Keenan Isaac and Shemar Bartholomew, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. The Commanders, Buccaneers and Jets respectively released the CBs, who will join a Panthers team in need.

Carolina also claimed linebackers Jon Rhattigan and Jamie Sheriff from the Seahawks, per Pelissero and veteran reporter Jordan Schultz. The Panthers will soon follow with cuts, as this marks a multi-position makeover for the NFC South club. In addition to the CB waiver claims, Pelissero reports Lonnie Johnson — whom the Texans released Tuesday — is signing with the Panthers’ practice squad, Pelissero adds. Carolina is expected to elevate the veteran DB by Week 1.

Initially a 49ers sixth-round pick, Castro-Fields played eight games with Washington last season. A 2023 UDFA, Isaac saw action in two Bucs games last year. Bartholomew was part of the Jets’ UDFA contingent this year. Johnson went to camp with Houston, which originally drafted him in Round 2. He played in 12 Saints games last season, working primarily on special teams.

This lot of inexperienced players, along with Johnson, will join a Panthers team that traded Donte Jackson and placed Dane Jackson on IR due to a hamstring injury. Carolina kept six cornerbacks on its active roster, including veteran slot man Troy Hill and recent trade pickup Michael Jackson, so some shuffling will soon occur.

As the team begins clearing roster space, the Charlotte Observer’s Mike Kaye notes rookie UDFA wideout Jalen Coker received word he will be waived. The Panthers also claimed former 49ers guard Jarrett Kingston. The Panthers also cut wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette, guard Cade Mays, cornerback D’Shawn Jamison, defensive tackle Jayden Peevy and Demani Richardson. Mays started seven games at guard over the past two seasons.

Panthers To Re-Sign CB Troy Hill

March 11th, 2024 at 8:39am CST by Sam Robinson

Troy Hill spent the 2023 season on his third team in as many years. His time in Carolina will provide short-term continuity, however. The veteran corner is re-signing on a one-year deal, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Serving as one of this period’s longest-running slot cornerbacks, Hill stepped into that role with the Panthers in 2023. The team signed the veteran inside cover man just before last season, reuniting the ex-Rams cog with former Los Angeles DBs coach Ejiro Evero. With Evero blocked from leaving Carolina this offseason, the Panthers are rolling with that plan once again.

Despite signing barely a week before last season, Hill played in 16 Panthers games and saw action on 50% of the 2-15 team’s defensive snaps. Hill’s age (33 in August) would not stand to line up with the Panthers’ timeline, given the significant step back that occurred last season. And teams do not exactly make a habit of signing corners nearing their mid-30s. But Hill’s familiarity with Evero’s scheme will help him stay in the game ahead of what would be a ninth NFL season.

Hill worked with Evero for four seasons in Los Angeles. While he missed the Rams’ 2021 Super Bowl-winning season, the longtime slot cog was a regular as Sean McVay rebuilt the team. Hill played in Super Bowl LIII, but the Rams traded him to the Browns during the 2021 draft. He returned to L.A. in 2022, but Evero was in Denver by then.

Last season, Pro Football Focus rated Hill 77th overall among corners. He intercepted one pass and broke up six others, forcing a fumble as well. Hill is certainly not a long-term solution at this point in his career, but the Panthers will aim to use him as one of their Jaycee Horn complementary pieces in 2024. The team has more questions at corner, after cutting Donte Jackson, but Hill’s presence could answer one of those just before free agency opens.

Panthers Sign CB Troy Hill

August 20th, 2023 at 9:17pm CST by Ely Allen

The Panthers have been graced this summer with an unfamiliar status of health in their cornerbacks room. That hasn’t stopped them from bringing in some veteran, starting depth at the position. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports that Carolina has agreed to terms with cornerback Troy Hill.

After seeing both of its top cornerbacks, Donte Jackson and Jaycee Horn, miss extended periods of time over the last few years, Carolina is finally ready to see both players on the field and healthy together. After suffering a minor foot injury in the spring, Horn has been 100 percent in camp. And Jackson, coming off an Achilles tear from last season, has received full clearance, as well.

Regardless, the team will be adding Hill to the fold. The 31-year-old undrafted cornerback has stuck around for eight years in the NFL, so far, and will be joining his sixth NFL team for the 2023 season.

After sputtering around as an undrafted rookie in 2015 with the Bengals and Patriots, Hill landed in St. Louis off waivers at the very end of his rookie season. The Rams’ subsequent move to Los Angeles marked a new start for Hill, as well. In his sophomore season, Hill made four starts for the Rams despite entering the year as the team’s fifth cornerback. Over a few more years in the Rams’ system, Hill solidified his role as part-time starter and heavy-rotation contributor.

When Los Angels finally gave Hill a chance to be a full-time starter, he had a career year, setting career-highs in tackles (77), passes defensed (10), and interceptions (3). He proved dangerous with the ball in his hands, as well, returning two of those picks for touchdowns and leading the league with 119 interception return yards.

The breakout performance in a contract year resulted in him signing a four-year, $24MM contract with the Browns. Cleveland’s system forced him to play out of his skillset a bit, resulting in a severe dip in production in coverage but a career-high in both sacks (2.0) and tackles for loss (7). After only one season with the Browns, Hill was traded back to Los Angeles for a 2023 fifth-round draft pick. Hill returned to his role as a starter for the Rams, but a restructured contract meant that he would find his way to free agency at the end of the season.

Hill joins a talented, young group in Carolina. Jackson and Horn are the clear favorites to start, but there is plenty of talent behind them with former first-round pick C.J. Henderson coming off the bench and former safety Jeremy Chinn playing in the slot. Hill’s role among this group isn’t immediately clear, but he brings plenty of experience to contribute. All of a sudden, fully healthy, cornerback is looking like a position of strength for the Panthers.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/29/22

October 29th, 2022 at 5:51pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are the minor moves leading into Sunday’s slate of games:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Rams To Activate Van Jefferson, Troy Hill From IR

October 28th, 2022 at 2:29pm CST by Ely Allen

OCTOBER 28: Both Jefferson and Hill will be activated ahead of Saturday afternoon’s Week 8 deadline, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Sean McVay said he expected to have several players back from injury after the team’s bye. Roster designations will be used on Jefferson and Hill, who each went on IR earlier this year. The Rams came into the week having not used any of their injury activations. After these moves, they will have six remaining this season.

OCTOBER 24: The Rams announced on Twitter today that they have designated three players for return from injured reserve. The three players that could potentially come back this year are cornerback Troy Hill, linebacker Travin Howard, and wide receiver Van Jefferson.

Hill is a longtime cornerback for Los Angeles that took a brief hiatus during its Super Bowl season last year. Hill signed as a free agent with the Browns for the 2021 season but was traded back to the Rams during this year’s draft. Hill had earned a starting role in Los Angeles before signing with the Browns and was in line to return to that role before a groin injury in a Week 2 win over the Falcons sent him to injured reserve.

Howard has been with Los Angeles since 2018 in some capacity, spending lots of time on reserve lists over the years. Most recently, Howard was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list in July after suffering a groin tear that would eventually require surgery. While he had opportunities to make an impact last year, even making the game-sealing interception in last year’s NFC Championship Game to send the Rams to the Super Bowl, this year’s linebacking corps in Los Angeles is much more talented. If he returns from the NFI list, Howard will only add some depth to the linebacker unit and likely contribute on special teams.

Jefferson is attempting to make his season debut after undergoing knee surgery this offseason. The Rams have badly missed the third-year receiver who served as the team’s second receiving option behind Cooper Kupp last season. Los Angeles has attempted to replace Jefferson’s production with Ben Skowronek and Allen Robinson, but getting Jefferson back could be a huge addition to the Rams’ passing game.

Designating Hill, Howard, and Jefferson opens up the three-week practice period for each player. If, at the end of the three-week period, the Rams have not activated any individual player, that player will have the designation for return removed and will have to remain out for the remainder of the season.

Rams Place CB Troy Hill On IR, Promote G Oday Aboushi

September 20th, 2022 at 3:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Rams will not have their primary slot cornerback available for a while. Troy Hill sustained a groin injury during the team’s Week 2 win over the Falcons; the veteran defender is now on IR.

Hill and Week 2’s right guard option — Tremayne Anchrum — are now on the four-week injury list. Veteran guard Oday Aboushi, who joined the Rams’ practice squad last week, is now on the defending champions’ 53-man roster.

Reacquired via trade on Day 3 of the draft, Hill re-emerged in his old gig in Los Angeles to start the season. Hill, 31, played 95% of the Rams’ defensive snaps in Week 1 but left their Week 2 game early. Cobie Durant replaced Hill, but Sean McVay said a hamstring injury could keep him out against the Cardinals as well. Robert Rochell and sixth-round rookie Derion Kendrick represent the team’s top other options here, should Durant not be able to go.

Anchrum became the latest Rams offensive lineman to go down; McVay confirmed the third-year blocker is out for the season. Anchrum, a 2020 seventh-round pick, suffered a fractured fibula Sunday. The Rams had Anchrum, third-round rookie Logan Bruss and veteran Coleman Shelton competing for the right guard job this summer. None of the three are available for that gig presently. Bruss (ACL, MCL tears) is out for the season; Shelton slid to center to replace Brian Allen, who suffered an injury in Week 1. Allen is not on IR, however. His return would shift Shelton back to right guard.

Second-year UDFA Alaric Jackson stepped in at right guard against the Falcons, but Aboushi is far more experienced. A starter for six teams during a nine-year career, Aboushi has 47 career first-string appearances. The 31-year-old blocker could join an ultra-exclusive club by starting for a seventh team. Considering the Rams’ situation, that may happen soon. Aboushi started five games for the Chargers last season, opening the year as their top right guard. An ACL tear ended that run. It will be interesting to see if the Rams move the veteran into their starting lineup this week, assuming Allen is not ready to return.

Restructure Details: Stanley, Hill, Smith-Schuster, Vannett

August 31st, 2022 at 7:56pm CST by Ely Allen

As teams around the NFL attempt to navigate the salary cap while putting together the rosters with which they will open the season, a couple of players have agreed to rework their current contracts in order to give their teams a bit more breathing room. Here are a few notable examples:

  • Ronnie Stanley, LT (Ravens): Baltimore addressed a major stressor today by converting $8.47MM of star left tackle Stanley’s salary this year into a signing bonus, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. The move resulted in the creation of $6.35MM of cap space for the 2022 season. This is a win-win for both sides. The Ravens gave Stanley a five-year, $112.8MM contract extension mid-season in 2020 that made him the highest paid offensive lineman in the NFL at the time. Since signing the contract, Stanley has played in two total games. With this compromise, Stanley still gets money from the contract while giving the Ravens a bit of relief on what stood to be the 20th largest cap hit in the NFL this season. After initially holding a cap hit of $18.55MM, Stanley will now represent a much easier to swallow $12.2MM of the Ravens’ cap space this year.
  • Troy Hill, CB (Rams): Los Angeles will make its cap struggles a bit easier by exercising a pre-existing option in Hill’s contract that will lower his 2022 cap hit by about $2MM, according to Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic. Hill returned to his long-time home in Los Angeles sporting a one-year-old contract from the Browns. The Rams decided to trade for their former cornerback a year after losing out on him to a two-year, $9MM deal from Cleveland. The option will lower Hill’s 2022 cap hit from $4.5MM to only $2.5MM.
  • JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR (Chiefs): Smith-Schuster decided in his second stint with free agency to join a new franchise, signing with the Chiefs on a one-year, $3.76MM contract. The deal was already extremely incentive-laden, but Kansas City decided to give the former-Steelers’ receiver an opportunity at a bit higher of a bonus total in a cost-efficient, cap-savvy move. According to Yates, the Chiefs agreed to an amended contract that will increase Smith-Schuster’s per-game active roster bonus from $30K to $60K. This will increase his potential season total in such bonuses from $510K to $1.02MM. What’s interesting is that, of the additional $510K, only $150K will be attributed to this year’s salary cap. Since Smith-Schuster only appeared in five games last season, only five games-worth of the additional $30K per game will count against the 2022 salary cap. The remaining $360K will be applied to the 2023 salary cap.
  • Nick Vannett, TE (Saints): New Orleans brought in a solid run-blocking tight end in Vannett last offseason on a three-year, $8MM deal. Unfortunately, the Saints were only able to get seven games of action out of Vannett last year in a season that saw him miss the first 10 weeks of the season. Perhaps a reaction to the absences last year, the Saints were able to convince Vannett to sign a reworked deal that would lower his 2022 base salary from $2.6MM to $1.04MM, according to a tweet from Yates. The lowered payout will result in about $1.55MM of cap space for New Orleans.

CB Rumors: Hill, Sutton, Pats, Colts, Lions

August 10th, 2022 at 11:41am CST by Sam Robinson

After seeing Troy Hill join the Browns in free agency last year, the Rams entered the 2022 league year eyeing Cleveland’s cornerback decisions. The Rams began discussing the idea of reacquiring Hill in early March, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic notes, and the team monitored the Browns’ draft to determine if it was a realistic move (subscription required). If the Browns drafted a cornerback on either Day 1 or Day 2, Rodrigue adds the Rams planned to make a move for Hill. Martin Emerson‘s third-round Cleveland arrival led to L.A. brass bringing back the veteran slot cornerback. The Rams, who had lost Darious Williams in free agency, sent a 2023 fifth-rounder to the Browns for Hill. Although Hill spent time in Youngstown, Ohio, growing up, the 30-year-old defender wants to stay with the Rams beyond his current contract — a two-year, $9MM deal that expires after the 2022 season.

Here is the latest from the cornerback scene across the league:

  • Cameron Sutton is going into the final year of his second Steelers contract and, with Joe Haden out of the picture, will go into the season as the team’s top cornerback. Sutton expects to go into the season without a new deal, but the now-Omar Khan-led Steelers have extended three contract-year players — Minkah Fitzpatrick, Chris Boswell, Diontae Johnson — in recent weeks. Sutton has confirmed he and the team have not discussed an extension, via Mark Kaboly of The Athletic. The sixth-year corner also is expected to spend most of his time in the slot this season, lining up on the outside in base sets and moving inside — with Levi Wallace and Ahkello Witherspoon outside — in sub-packages.
  • The Patriots have primarily used Jonathan Jones as a slot cornerback. His 2019 extension came as a result of slot play, and Pro Football Focus graded him as a top-tier cover man in 2020. But New England has been using Jones on the outside in recent days at camp, Doug Kyed of PFF notes, with third-round rookie Marcus Jones working in the slot. The Pats have been searching for an outside corner alongside Jalen Mills, and the recently unretired Malcolm Butler has yet to seize that gig. Marcus Jones is also viewed as the likely Pats punt returner, per Kyed.
  • Will Harris has worked as a safety during his first three seasons, but the fourth-year Lions defender is now battling former No. 3 overall pick Jeff Okudah for an outside cornerback spot, Eric Woodyard of ESPN.com notes. Harris started all 17 games for the Lions last season, but in addition to re-signing Tracy Walker, Detroit added ex-Baltimore safety DeShon Elliott. Okudah losing this competition would be a massive disappointment, given his draft slot, but ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler adds the Ohio State product is not being restricted by his 2021 Achilles rupture and is firmly in the Lions’ plans. Detroit’s first “unofficial” depth chart has Harris ahead of Okudah, alongside corners Amani Oruwariye and slot A.J. Parker.
  • The Colts may be ready to declare a winner in the battle to determine their third primary cornerback. Veteran addition Brandon Facyson is likely to play alongside Kenny Moore and Stephon Gilmore, Joel Erickson of the Indianapolis Star notes. Facyson, a Gus Bradley-system vet who has been with the new Colts DC with the Chargers and Raiders, appears to be beating out 2020 sixth-round pick Isaiah Rodgers. Largely a backup before starting nine Raiders games last year, Facyson signed a one-year, $3.84MM deal this offseason.
  • Darqueze Dennard spent 2021 with four teams — the Cardinals, Colts, Giants and 49ers — and played in just two games. But the 49ers, with K’Waun Williams now a Bronco, have Dennard in pole position to be their slot corner, Matt Barrows of The Athletic notes. A former first-round pick, Dennard spent years as the Bengals’ primary slot. The 31-year-old defender is attempting to fend off rookies Samuel Womack and Qwuantrezz Knight.
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