Panthers Release OLB K’Lavon Chaisson
K’Lavon Chaisson‘s time with the Panthers is set to come to an end without any regular season game time. The former first-round edge rusher was released on Tuesday, per a team announcement. 
Chaisson played out his rookie contract with the Jaguars, unsuccessfully attempting to carve out a regular role on defense. The 25-year-old logged 11 starts across his first two seasons in Jacksonville, but his playing time notably dropped after that point. With only five sacks to his name, Chaisson understandably did not have a strong free agent market in the spring.
Carolina added him on a one-year deal including $500K guaranteed. The team will see that amount become a dead money charge as a result of this move, but it will generate $2MM in savings. The Panthers are thin along the edge as things stand, with D.J. Wonnum and Amare Barno being placed on the reserve/PUP list last week. They will miss at least the first four weeks of the season.
The Panthers were tight against the cap heading into Tuesday, and this move will help in that regard. Carolina was already known to be on the lookout for an edge rush addition before cutting Chaisson, so a move for a healthy contributor should be expected in the coming days. At the moment, the team has Jadeveon Clowney, DJ Johnson, Eku Leota and Jamie Sheriff in place.
Chaisson could remain in the Panthers’ organization via a practice squad deal. Otherwise, he will seek out a new team in advance of Week 1 as he looks to find the opportunity for a long-term NFL gig. Given the LSU product’s rotational usage on special teams, he could land an end-of-the-roster role somewhere in relatively short order.
49ers Place WR Ricky Pearsall On NFI List
SEPTEMBER 3: General manager John Lynch said (via Barrows) the bullet which hit Pearsall did not strike any ribs, a factor which allowed him to be hospitalized for such a brief period. Lynch added he expects Pearsall to be available at some point during the 2024 campaign. That will not be possible until Week 5 at the earliest, but any regular season action would of course be a welcomed development.
SEPTEMBER 2: Ricky Pearsall will, to no surprise, be sidelined for at least the first four games of the regular season. The 49ers’ first-round rookie was placed on the non-football injury list Monday, as noted by ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. 
Pearsall was the victim of an attempted robbery on Saturday and he suffered a gunshot wound to the chest. The 23-year-old was in serious but stable condition in the aftermath of the incident, and none of his vital organs were hit. In an encouraging update yesterday, Pearsall was discharged from hospital.
His recovery will now continue from home, but the 49ers will proceed with caution in terms of getting him back on the field. Pearsall – who had already missed considerable time in training camp and the preseason due to hamstring and shoulder injuries – will be sidelined for a notable period before being eligible to make his regular season debut.
As Matt Barrow of the Athletic notes, returning Pearsall from the NFI list to the active roster will count as one of the eight activations San Francisco has during the campaign. Those activations are generally meant for players placed on injured reserve before or after roster cuts.
The 49ers’ receiver depth chart is set with Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings in place to once again lead the way at the position. Pearsall’s selection on Day 1 of the draft came amidst trade talk surrounding Aiyuk and Samuel, although both are now under contract beyond 2024. Pearsall should occupy a rotational role once healthy, and with Samuel a potential trade candidate next offseason, he could step into a starting gig in 2025.
In a corresponding move, the 49ers signed offensive tackle Brandon Parker to the active roster. The former Raider is a veteran of 59 games and 33 starts, and he is positioned to take on the swing tackle role for Week 1. Jaylon Moore is on track to start at left tackle for San Francisco due to Trent Williams‘ ongoing holdout. The future Hall of Famer is on the reserve/did not report list while talks on a contract resolution continue. An agreement could be coming soon, but for at least the coming week Parker will likely be counted on as key depth up front.
Latest On Patriots’ QB Situation
Drake Maye impressed during his first summer in the NFL, but Jacoby Brissett will handle starting quarterback duties for the Patriots to start the year. A change in the pecking order midway through the campaign would still come as no surprise, though. 
[RELATED: Recapping Patriots’ Offseason]
Brissett signed a one-year deal in free agency to operate as an experienced option in New England’s post-Mac Jones QB room. The team turned aside considerable interest for the No. 3 pick, selecting Maye and in doing so making him the central figure in their offensive plan. Head coach Jerod Mayo praised Maye’s performance in training camp and the preseason, but leaning on Brissett early on will allow New England’s O-line and receiving corps to develop without Maye on the field.
With that said, Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald reports it is considered a matter of “when” and not “if” Maye takes over at some point relatively soon in the 2024 season. The North Carolina product entered the league as one of the younger signal-callers in his draft class with plenty of mechanical adjustments being deemed necessary. Mayo said Maye “outplayed” Brissett in the build-up to his starter’s decision (a comment he has since walked back to an extent), and he left the door open to a quarterback change depending on how Brissett starts the year.
The 31-year-old made three appearances with the Commanders last season, but his most recent first-team action came in 2022. Brissett served as the Browns’ starter to begin the campaign while Deshaun Watson was suspended, working under offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt during that time. Overall, he has racked up 48 starts in his career, one which began with New England in 2016. The former third-rounder served as a full-time starter twice with the Colts, but most of his recent campaigns have seen him primarily handle backup duties.
Signs still point to that being the case once again in 2024, particularly if Brissett were to struggle during his first few starts. Maye is under contract through 2027 at a minimum, whereas Brissett is a pending free agent. The latter thus has plenty at stake for the coming campaign, but how long he remains atop the depth chart will be an ongoing question once the season kicks off.
Saints RB Alvin Kamara Prepared To Pause Contract Talks Until 2025
Alvin Kamara made it clear he was interested in an adjustment to his contract this offseason. No arrangement was made between the Pro Bowl back and the Saints, however, and both parties’ attention will now turn to the 2024 campaign. 
Kamara has two years remaining on his contract, but the 2025 season currently calls for a non-guaranteed base salary of $22.4MM. New Orleans would have a cap charge of just over $29MM next season in the absence of a restructure, a release or a trade sending Kamara to a new team. Knowing how unrealistic that scenario is, the 29-year-old left the Saints’ minicamp early as part of an effort to work out a new arrangement.
2024 has Kamara set to collect $11.8MM in what will all-but certainly be the final year of his $75MM 2020 extension. The running back market has not taken off like those of many other positions since that time, and his age is a factor working against his ability to land a lucrative third contract. Kamara did not engage in a training camp holdout as talks on a new deal took place. With the regular season at hand, though, the time for negotiations has passed and he is prepared to pick up negotiations in the spring (video link via Fletcher Mackel of WDSU).
Kamara was short on leverage in contract talks – which are not believed to have yielded much progress toward an agreement – entering the 2024 season given the term left on his deal. He could help his position with a strong campaign this year after he set a career low in rushing (694) and scrimmage (1,160) yards in 2023. The former Offensive Rookie of the Year missed three games due to suspension and was limited to only 12 contests last year; a fully healthy slate could lead to a rebound in production. Comments made on his situation earlier in the summer suggested Kamara would take this stance.
New Orleans also has veteran Jamaal Williams, 2023 third-rounder Kendre Miller and undrafted rookie Jordan Mims on the active roster in the backfield. Kamara is positioned to once again handle lead back duties this year, and his showing in that role will inform how the Saints proceed with his contract next offseason.
Panthers Will Not Sign QB John Wolford
John Wolford had a deal in place to join the Panthers’ practice squad, but that will no longer be the case. The seventh-year quarterback is not heading to Carolina at this time, Joe Person of The Athletic reports. 
Wolford spent the 2023 season with the Buccaneers, spending time under Dave Canales. Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator for that campaign, Canales took the Panthers’ head coaching gig during the 2024 hiring cycle, so it came as no surprise Wolford showed interest in following him to Carolina. Person adds the Panthers will use that practice squad spot on a different position for the time being, though.
An agreement with Wolford could still be in the cards for Carolina later on, Person notes. The 28-year-old entered the league as a UDFA in 2018, making his regular season debut two years later with the Rams. Wolford made a total of eight appearances and five starts during his Los Angeles tenure, including a wild-card win in 2020 during which he was injured early.
The Buccaneers had Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask on the depth chart last season, and that remains the case in 2024. Wolford is free to sign with any team, but a spot on a practice squad (rather than an active roster) should be expected unless the early portion of the season leaves potential suitors in need of healthy passers in short order. Attention in Carolina will remain focused on Canales’ ability to develop Bryce Young, a central part of why he was hired as the team’s new coach.
The Panthers have Young and veteran Andy Dalton on the active roster as things stand. The team also has Jake Plummer on the taxi squad as a developmental option. Changes to that depth chart could take place if Wolford finds himself in Carolina, but at least for now that will not take place.
Latest On Negotiations Between Bengals, WR Ja’Marr Chase
CeeDee Lamb‘s Cowboys holdout and Brandon Aiyuk‘s 49ers hold-in have both come to an end. Extension agreements have brought the wideouts back to their respective teams in advance of Week 1, turning attention to Ja’Marr Chase and the Bengals. 
The 2021 Offensive Rookie of the Year has been eligible to sign a second contract throughout the offseason, one in which several big-ticket receiver extensions have been worked out. Chase’s former LSU teammate Justin Jefferson reset the market with a Vikings deal averaging $35MM per season. That pact includes nearly $89MM guaranteed, a figure which created a major gulf in terms of locked in compensation compared to Tyreek Hill‘s revised Dolphins contract. Lamb’s deal bridged the gap ($34MM AAV, $67MM guaranteed at signing), and it could pave the way for progress between Chase and the Bengals.
The 24-year-old’s camp slow-played negotiations earlier this summer in the view of the team, SI’s Albert Breer notes. Chase understandably waited until Jefferson’s agreement was in place, and while talks have taken place recently, nothing has appeared imminent. The fact that Lamb and Aiyuk have both worked out deals offers further clarity on the receiver market moving forward. While Chase is on the books for two more years, he is the Bengals’ top financial priority. Both team and player have been linked to waiting until next offseason to work out a deal, though.
Chase is healthy, but after skipping voluntary OTAs and attending mandatory minicamp, he has practiced on an infrequent basis during training camp. Head coach Zac Taylor said three-time Pro Bowler would be in place for Week 1, but he has since conceded this situation is evolving on a day-to-day basis. A new effort has been made by Cincinnati’s front office to hammer out an extension with Week 1 looming as an artificial deadline. The sides could reach an eleventh-hour agreement, but the absence of one would likely lead to extension talks being delayed until next spring.
With three 1,000-yard seasons on his resume (despite missing five games in 2022), Chase is positioned to become of the league’s top earners at the receiver spot. Some around the league think moving him to the top of the pecking order will be necessary, an investment which would be particularly notable given the Bengals’ reputation for frugality. The team broke with tradition in committing guaranteed money beyond Year 1 for quarterback Joe Burrow, and the same will be necessary in Chase’s case regardless of where his deal ends up in terms of annual value.
Cincinnati’s regular season (expected to be the final one with franchise tag recipient Tee Higgins in the fold) begins on Sunday. Whether or not Chase practices again between now and then could depend on the status of contract talks, something which no longer involves waiting on comparable situations to be sorted out.
Saints HC Dennis Allen On Hot Seat?
Across his two seasons at the helm of the Saints, Dennis Allen has posted a sub-.500 record. 2024 offers an opportunity to rebound and help his job security, but New Orleans’ head coach likely faces pressure entering the campaign. 
Allen is viewed around the league as being on the hot seat leading up to Week 1, Jeff Howe of The Athletic notes (subscription required). The 51-year-old took over from Sean Payton in 2022 after spending the previous seven years as the Saints’ defensive coordinator. That continuity helped the transition away from the Payton era, but the post-Drew Brees years have not yielded strong offensive showings for the team.
The Saints have ranked 19th and 14th in total offense during Allen’s time as head coach, and last year’s Derek Carr addition did not meet expectations. Improvement could take place in 2024, the first season since 2009 in which Pete Carmichael will not serve as offensive coordinator. New Orleans went outside the organization in adding Klint Kubiak as OC, a role he previously held in 2021. Increased efficiency on the ground and through the air will be key in the Saints’ efforts to return to the postseason.
Allen’s team improved from 7-10 to 9-8 last year, predictably remaining strong on defense. The Saints have ranked top-10 in points allowed during each of the past four seasons, and many of their top veterans on that side of the ball are still in place. The 2024 offseason consisted of a new round of restructures and extensions aimed at attaining cap compliance while keeping most of New Orleans’ core intact.
In December, a report named Allen as a candidate to be replaced at the end of the campaign. The Saints’ failure to win the NFC South certainly did not help his chances of retaining his title, but later signs pointed to attention mainly being focused on offensive changes rather than an Allen firing. The former Raiders head coach confirmed in January that he expected to remain in place, and that has proven to be the case.
Allen’s time with the Raiders included a record of 8-28 and resulted in his firing after an 0-4 start to the 2014 campaign. His tenure with the Saints has gone better to date, but plenty of room for improvement exists. If steps forward are not taken in 2024, he could be at or near the top of the list of coaches in danger of being let go in advance of the 2025 hiring cycle.
Ravens Host DL Lawrence Guy
Lawrence Guy spent the past seven seasons in New England, but he was not among the many Patriots defenders who landed a new contract this offseason. The veteran defensive lineman could find himself in place with one of his other former teams soon, though. 
Guy recently visited the Ravens, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The 34-year-old played 43 games with Baltimore from 2014-16 , logging 17 starts during that stretch. Guy’s most recent Ravens deal was for two years; upon playing it out, he secured a four-year contract with the Patriots. That was followed by another four-year accord, but he was released in a cost-shedding move with one year remaining.
Guy had not taken any known visits before auditioning for the Ravens. The former seventh-rounder’s playing time in Baltimore overlapped entirely with that of Zach Orr, who is now the team’s defensive coordinator. Orr was promoted as Mike Macdonald‘s replacement this offseason, and 2024 will mark his first time as a coordinator at the college or NFL levels. Guy would represent a familiar face up front for Orr.
The Ravens carried over their entire defensive line from 2023 this offseason, a unit which will again be led by Justin Madubuike. The former third-rounder shattered his previous career highs across the board last year, earning himself the franchise tag and eventually a $24.5MM-per-year extension. Michael Pierce, Travis Jones, Broderick Washington and Brent Urban are also in place along the D-line.
Guy started all but seven of his 110 Patriots appearances, handling a steady workload along the way. The former seventh-rounder remained consistent against the run and occasionally chipped in as a pass rusher. Guy’s best season in terms of sack production (4.5) came during his first full Ravens season. A Baltimore reunion would not include expectations for a repeat of that mark, but it could allow him to log a depth role and set himself up for another free agent deal next spring.
Packers Targeted K Brayden Narveson As UDFA?
The Packers’ multi-faceted kicker competition included a number of faces seeing time in the offseason, training camp and preseason. In the end, neither incumbent Anders Carlson nor veteran Greg Joseph earned the Week 1 gig. Instead, that job has gone to Brayden Narveson, a waiver claim following roster cuts. 
Narveson joined the Titans as an undrafted free agent this spring. Tennessee already had veteran Nick Folk in place, and the 39-old will indeed handle kicking duties in 2024. As a result, the Titans attempted to have Narveson pass through waivers and land on the practice squad. The Packers’ decision to claim him changed that plan, though.
“I was fully anticipating re-signing with the Titans on the practice squad,” the 24-year confirmed (via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky). “Even from the forefront, when they were recruiting me, if you will, during the draft, that was the guiding idea that that was probably what was going to happen. But at the same time, I prepared, I got opportunities in the games, I executed in the games.”
Narveson’s performance in the preseason put him on the Packers’ radar as they attempted to sort out their kicking situation. General manager Brian Gutekunst noted in an interview with Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette that the team attempted to sign Narveson after the draft had concluded. The Packers still had Carlson (a 2023 sixth-round pick) in the fold at that time, and Lambeau Field is certainly not the most attractive setting for rookie kickers to attempt to launch their careers compared to other venues.
Notably, Demovsky reports the Packers did not, in fact, make an offer to Narveson as a UFDA. The Iowa State, Western Kentucky and NC State product’s only known offer came from the Titans, explaining his decision to sign with the team despite having to compete with Folk. Now, he will aim to earn a long-term stint in Green Bay in his first regular season action. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur expressed his confidence in Narveson after only two practices with the Packers, during which he went 10-for-11 on field goal attempts.
Narveson’s college career saw him convert at an accuracy rate above 79% only once in a season, during the 2020 campaign. After Carlson had an up-and-down rookie year, Narveson will look to carry over the momentum he built for himself during the summer. Gutekunst added (via Dougherty) Green Bay showed interest in free agent kickers likes Matthew Wright and Chad Ryland – cut by the Steelers and Patriots, respectively, last week – but the team will rely on a less experienced option to start the season.
Latest On Giants, CB Adoree’ Jackson
Adoree’ Jackson had a lengthy spell on the open market come to an end once he took a visit with the Giants last week. That move immediately resulted in a contract being worked out, one which will allow the veteran corner to resume his New York tenure. 
Jackson signed a three-year, $39MM deal in 2021 to join the Giants; he operated as a starting corner throughout that time. 2023 was not a strong season, however, as the 28-year-old allowed a 95.5 passer rating and 65.9% completion percentage in coverage. Allowing his contract to expire in March, the team made other moves in the secondary. The starting CB spot opposite Deonte Banks remained a question mark entering roster cuts, though, and Jackson could reprise his first-team defensive role.
The 28-year-old spoke to the media on Monday while reflecting on his free agency. He said (via Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post) he did not visit any other teams prior to meeting with the Giants. That explains his months-long spell on the market, and it also underscores the mutual interest which existed in a New York reunion. Jackson added he did not make a starting gig a condition of his decision to re-sign, but he did seek out signs from the team that he was “truly wanted back” (h/t Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News).
A full-time starting spot may not be feasible for Jackson in Week 1 given the short turnaround from his signing to the start of the regular season. He will be an option to log at least a rotational in the secondary, though, and he could also make an impact on special teams. With Gunner Olszewski not at full strength, head coach Brian Daboll named Jackson (via Dunleavy) as a candidate to handle punt return duties.
Jackson regularly handled punts during part of his tenure in Tennessee, totaling 50 returns across the 2017 and ’18 seasons. He has not been used in that role very much since then, but 2024 could see him fill in for Olszewski on a temporary basis if needed. Jackson is on a one-year deal, and his value will be determined by his success in whatever role he winds up carving out for himself upon returning to New York.