NFC South Rumors: Darnold, Christensen, Bucs, Murphy-Bunting, Werner
As Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield starts to run away with the starting job, questions have been raised about the future of incumbent starter Sam Darnold. When a rumor surfaced that Carolina may be shopping the fifth-year passer, general manager Scott Fitterer pulled Darnold aside to set him at ease, according to Joseph Person of The Athletic.
“I talked to Scott,” Darnold explained. “He said not to worry about it. To be honest, before he talked to me, I didn’t even see it. So I’m just gonna continue to do me and do what I can to put myself in a good position and put this team in a good position.”
Aiding Fitterer in convincing Darnold that he’s not likely to be dealt is Darnold’s $18.86MM salary. There could certainly be a team willing to make a call about Darnold if an injury occurs to their starter, but if the Panthers wanted to offload him, they’d likely have to eat some of his contract, as well.
There’s a good chance, though, that Darnold stays put. As Person explained, “in a league that saw only 12 teams make it through the 17-game regular season in 2021 with one quarterback,” the backup quarterback is still a crucially important position. And, while Darnold may not rank highly among the starters in today’s game, he certainly ranks as one of the better backup quarterbacks in the league. The backup job appears to be his, too, as long as the Panthers continue to slow play the development of rookie third-round pick Matt Corral.
Here are a few other rumors from around the NFC South, starting with another note out of the Tar Heel state:
- As certain as it seems that rookie first-round pick Ikem Ekwonu will start the 2022 season as the Panthers’ starting left tackle, Carolina is still giving last year’s third-round pick, Brady Christensen, plenty of snaps at the position. According to Person, Christensen took the majority of the first-team reps this past Thursday at the position. Christensen has a highly sought after versatility that gives the Panthers the option of playing him as a guard or a tackle. With Ekwonu still expected to win the starting job, perhaps offensive line coach James Campen just wants to ensure his best backup option has enough experience at one of the offensive line’s most important positions.
- The Buccaneers‘ interior offensive line will look completely different in 2022 after the departures of Alex Cappa and Ali Marpet, as well as an injury that may cause center Ryan Jensen to miss a significant amount of time. Trade acquisition Shaq Mason will man the right guard position, while the left guard and center positions are still up in the air, according to ESPN’s Jenna Laine. The center position is currently a battle between Robert Hainsey and Nick Leverett. Leverett is also competing for the left guard starting job with Aaron Stinnie and rookie second-round pick Luke Goedeke. A tweet from Bucs staff writer Scott Smith, though, may hint at one of the positions. Smith reports that assistant head coach & run game coordinator Harold Goodwin “hopes a decision (at left guard) will be made prior to the third preseason game” so that the new left guard can “build chemistry with Donovan Smith and (Hainsey).” Smith is projected to be the starting left tackle, so this comment from Goodwin may point to the fact that Hainsey has won the position battle at center.
- We recently did a rundown of the Buccaneers’ cornerbacks room, but an update, provided by Matt Matera of the Pewter Report, may give us some new information. We claimed that Sean Murphy-Bunting was in a competition with Jamel Dean for the No. 2 cornerback spot opposite Carlton Davis, but that the loser of that battle would still likely get plenty of time as the top option at nickel. According to Matera, though, Murphy-Bunting is no longer working in the slot and is solely competing with Dean for the outside job. Matera adds that Dean seems to have the inside-track which will leave Murphy-Bunting coming off the bench.
- It appears that Saints second-year linebacker Pete Werner has taken hold of the starting weak-side linebacker position next to Demario Davis, according to Jeff Duncan of nola.com. Duncan comments that the staff’s confidence in Werner is high enough that it assisted in their decision to allow former starter Kwon Alexander to walk in free agency.
Baker Mayfield To Start Panthers Preseason Opener
It sounds like Baker Mayfield is getting the first crack at the Panthers’ starting QB gig. The team announced that their offseason acquisition will start today’s preseason opener against the Commanders.
[RELATED: Baker Mayfield Moving Ahead In Panthers QB Race]
Mayfield and teammate Sam Darnold have been alternating first-team snaps throughout training camp, but it will be Mayfield who will get the first look on Saturday. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler expects Mayfield to get one or two series before giving way to Darnold, who will also get one or two series (Twitter link). After that, the Panthers will likely lean on PJ Walker and rookie third-round pick Matt Corral for the rest of the exhibition.
On one side, it’s clearly telling that Mayfield will be playing alongside other definitive offensive starters, and throughout training camp, we’ve been given every indication that the former first-overall pick was in the lead for the starting QB job. However, ESPN’s Jeff Darlington cautions (on Twitter) that we shouldn’t take too much away from today’s game. Rather, the “true barometer” for the competition will come next week when Carolina practices against New England. According to Darlington, people with the team believe the QB decision will be made following that August 19 game against the Patriots.
Head coach Matt Rhule echoed that next week will be essential for the QB competition, noting that it was an “ongoing process” with no clear deadline.
“When we know, we know,” Rhule said (via Darin Gantt of the team’s website). “If we knew for sure, we would say it and just move on with it. When we, we know. Every day brings new evidence. Every day brings new insights. But at the same time, they’re both competitors. If one guy has a strong day, the next guy fights back the next day. I think it’s been healthy for our team. It’s been healthy for the staff. I think it’s been done the right way. I’m pleased with where it’s at.”
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/12/22
Today’s minor transactions:
Buffalo Bills
- Activated from active/PUP list: DT Eli Ankou
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on IR: CB Devin Jones
Chicago Bears
- Released from IR with injury settlement: LB C.J. Avery
Houston Texans
- Released from IR with injury settlement: WR Davion Davis
Indianapolis Colts
- Released: OT Jason Spriggs
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: CB Nate Brooks
- Placed on IR: CB Cre’Von LeBlanc
New Orleans Saints
- Released from IR with injury settlement: CB Dylan Mabin
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on IR: WR Keric Wheatfall
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Placed on IR: WR Javon McKinley
San Francisco 49ers
- Released from IR with injury settlement: S Leon O’Neal
Tennessee Titans
- Released from IR with injury settlement: OL Daniel Munyer
Panthers Add Two Tight Ends
The Panthers added a pair of tight ends today. The team signed Nate Becker to a one-year deal, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter). The team also announced the signing of veteran Ryan Izzo. To make room on the roster, the Panthers waived/injured cornerback Devin Jones. They also cut wide receiver Andrew Parchment from the injured reserve with an injury settlement, according to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (via Twitter).
A former seventh-round pick, Izzo spent the first three seasons of his career with the Patriots, getting into 18 games. He started each of his 12 games during the 2020 campaign, hauling in 13 receptions for 199 yards. He spent time with four different organizations during the 2021 campaign, including stints with the Titans, Giants, Seahawks, and Titans.
Becker went undrafted out of Miami (OH) in 2019. Following a brief stint with the Lions, he caught on with the Bills, and he spent the better part of two seasons with the organization. He spent most of his tenure in Buffalo on the practice squad, although he did get into one contest. The 26-year-old spent the 2021 campaign unsigned.
All of Ian Thomas, Colin Thompson, and Josh Babicz are currently sidelined with injuries, leaving the squad with Tommy Tremble, Stephen Sullivan, and Jared Scott as their only healthy TEs. Izzo and Becker will temporarily provide some extra depth at the position.
Jones just joined the Panthers last week, and he’ll likely land on IR unless he’s claimed on waivers. Parchment recently landed on injured reserve after getting waived/injured with an undisclosed injury.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/8/22
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived/injured: DT Bryce Rodgers
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from PUP: RB Kyren Williams
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Reverted to IR: RB Nathan Cottrell
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: DE Matt Dickerson
- Waived: LB Shilique Calhoun
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: C/G Cameron Hunt
Los Angeles Rams
- Activated from PUP: WR Warren Jackson, RB Kyren Williams
- Released from IR: TE Kyle Markway
New England Patriots
- Activated from NFI: G Chasen Hines
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: CB Jordan Brown, DE T.J. Carter, LB Chase Hansen
- Activated from NFI: WR Rashid Shaheed
- Waived/injured: CB Dylan Mabin
New York Giants
- Released: OL Matt Gono
New York Jets
- Signed: OL Caleb Benenoch
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: LB Ron’Dell Carter
- Activated from PUP: DE Tyson Alualu
- Waived/injured: LB T.D. Moultry
Washington Commanders
- Signed: WR Matt Cole
- Reverted to IR: WR Jequez Ezzard
Baker Mayfield Moving Ahead In Panthers QB Race
When the Panthers completed their months-long Baker Mayfield negotiations with the Browns, the expectation was he would beat out 2018 draft classmate Sam Darnold. That path may be starting to form.
It has become fairly clear this is Mayfield’s job to lose, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link). Although Darnold has shown competency during camp, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo adds Mayfield’s higher ceiling — which has begun to show itself at camp, via splashier plays — has him pointed toward QB1 duty.
[RELATED: Assessing Carolina’s 2022 Offseason]
Darnold has enjoyed a several-month head start on Mayfield in new OC Ben McAdoo‘s offense. Both Matt Rhule and GM Scott Fitterer wanted the Mayfield trade done by minicamp, which obviously would have allowed for the former No. 1 overall pick to begin on-field work sooner. As Mayfield assimilates further, a gap could begin to form. Mayfield’s knowledge of McAdoo’s system going into camp surprised the Panthers, per Garafolo (video link).
Rhule said he will hold off on determining a starter until after the team’s second preseason game (August 19), but if this battle continues its present course, Mayfield should start to see more than the 50-50 snap split as the regular season nears.
This points to a situation in which Mayfield, who took a pay cut from his fifth-year option salary to facilitate a trade to Carolina, starts over a quarterback tied to a bigger contract. Darnold is still attached to his full $18.9MM option salary. That will make the former No. 3 overall pick almost impossible to move. While a quarterback injury could change the thinking here, Darnold is not being shopped, Joe Person of The Athletic tweets.
As is the case with Jimmy Garoppolo, Darnold’s salary would almost certainly need to be reduced in order for him to be moved. Garoppolo has also shown far more than the USC product as a pro. Absent a major injury, no clear path — save for maybe Seattle — would exist to Darnold starting anywhere. No Darnold-Seahawks connections have been made. The team has been connected to Garoppolo, but only in a scenario in which the 49ers release him. If that is the Seahawks’ stance on Garoppolo, it is unrealistic to expect any Darnold trade interest to develop.
Latest On Panthers’ QB Situation
The Panthers have one of the league’s only quarterback competitions this summer and plan to draw it out a bit longer. Carolina doesn’t plan on making what head coach Matt Rhule calls a “major decision” on any position battles until after the team’s second preseason game on August 19, according to David Newton of ESPN. This, of course, includes the starting quarterback battle between incumbent Sam Darnold and trade acquisition Baker Mayfield.
Darnold’s debut season in Carolina was the worst of his career according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). PFF has consistently graded Darnold among the worst NFL quarterbacks, ranking him 29th, 31st, and 35th in his first three seasons in New York. He continued his downward trajectory ranking as the 36th out of 37 ranked quarterbacks last year, finishing only over Ben Roethlisberger.
Mayfield, on the other hand, graded out very poorly in 2021 (30th out of 37), but has seen success in his healthier seasons in Cleveland, even taking them to the playoffs and earning their first postseason win since the 1994 NFL season in 2020. His career has been a rollercoaster celebrating the ups of his 2018 and 2020 seasons while stomaching the downs of his 2019 and 2021 seasons. Still, that’s two more impressive seasons than his competitor has seen in the NFL and should give him an initial edge.
Mayfield is the expected leader in the race right now based on that past success. The two have split reps on first and second team down the middle this summer, giving both a chance to work with the ones. At some point, though, the Panthers staff is going to want to give somebody more first team reps in preparation to be the Panthers’ starting quarterback for the regular season. Rhule seems to imply that a decision could ultimately be pushed even closer to the start of the season.
“I’m not putting a timetable on the quarterback position until after we get back from Patriots week,” Rhule explained after today’s scrimmage. “The Patriots week is a true litmus test for us. That will really show us where guys are.”
In addition to the QB1 battle, there are a couple of other positions that have battles to be decided after the team’s time in Foxborough. Wide receiver Terrace Marshall is expected to take a big step in his second season and push Robby Anderson for the WR2 spot behind D.J. Moore. The return of cornerback Jaycee Horn presents a logjam atop the depth chart of the position. The Panthers will have to decide if they like Horn or last year’s trade acquisition C.J. Henderson on the outside. If they choose Horn, Henderson will have to compete with Keith Taylor in the slot. In they choose Henderson on the outside, Horn will likely man the slot.
It will be interesting to see how Carolina approaches the third preseason game. The last game of the preseason is traditionally a game full of backups and roster bubble guys as the starters tend to rest in order to prevent injury. If the Panthers are waiting until that game to make crucial depth chart decisions, they may be forced to give the finalized first string some reps together in their last game action before the regular season. Regardless, it sounds like Panthers fans will have to wait until late August to know exactly what the Panthers’ depth chart will look like.
Latest On Panthers CB Jaycee Horn
Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn missed the final 14 games of his rookie campaign after breaking three bones in his right foot. More than 10 months later, the former first-round pick is still sidelined. As Joseph Person of The Athletic writes, the Panthers continue to bring the cornerback along slowly as he recovers from the foot injury.
“I don’t want to get into all [the training staff is] doing,” said head coach Matt Rhule. “But they’ve taken some things and said, ‘Hey, give him a couple days.’ I think we all feel really good about where it’s headed.”
Horn made an appearance at OTAs and minicamp but reported soreness after his conditioning test, according to Person. He subsequently landed on PUP, and despite being activated since, he’s yet to participate in team drills. Horn isn’t expected on the practice field for at least a few more days, but there’s some optimism that he could return by next week.
“When you come back off a broken foot, you’re gonna deal with some soreness. … If you talk to anyone with a broken foot, they’re gonna tell you that’s what they generally deal with,” Horn told Person. “So I wasn’t too concerned. I was just taking the advice of the training staff and taking it slow.”
Following a standout collegiate career at South Carolina, the Panthers selected Horn with the eighth-overall pick in the 2021 draft. He started each of his three games last season, collecting five tackles and one interception. He’s expected to slide back into the starting lineup once he’s fully healthy.
Offseason In Review: Carolina Panthers
The Panthers have one- and two-win seasons on their 21st-century resume, but the franchise has never gone through a stretch like the one it has submitted over the past three years. Prior to 2020, there was only one instance of Carolina finishing consecutive seasons with double-digit losses (2010-11). Entering Matt Rhule‘s third year, the current streak is three. The Panthers’ three straight five-win campaigns has made Rhule’s seat hot and made David Tepper‘s authorization of a seven-year, $63MM contract look shortsighted.
Rhule’s handling of the quarterback position has led his regime to the brink, but the team took another swing — albeit belatedly — this offseason. While this could lead the best quarterback to Carolina since a pre-injuries Cam Newton, it also may not be enough to stave off a Tepper urge to cut his losses.
Trades:
- Panthers send conditional 2024 fifth-round pick to Browns for QB Baker Mayfield
Carolina aimed to bring in a quarterback with a greater pedigree. The team submitted what might have been the second-best offer for Matthew Stafford last year, and GM Scott Fitterer inquired about a reunion with Russell Wilson, whom he helped draft during a 20-year Seattle stay. Deshaun Watson obviously loomed as a big fish for the Panthers, who pursued the embattled quarterback for two offseasons. The team passed on taking QBs with back-to-back top-10 picks, selecting Jaycee Horn over Justin Fields and Mac Jones and choosing Ikem Ekwonu over ex-Rhule Temple recruit Kenny Pickett. This journey led to the Panthers completing a second offseason program with Sam Darnold — the QB the team settled on via a three-pick trade haul in 2021 — in the pilot seat.
Darnold’s disastrous Carolina debut led the team to Mayfield, after a Tepper-fueled three-month odyssey that had Carolina and Cleveland — who spent most of the offseason at Nos. 1 and 2 in cap space — haggling over a few million of the former Browns starter’s salary. While the Panthers made out well in this deal — the low pick and being responsible for just $4.86MM of Mayfield’s $15MM-plus salary — Tepper’s insistence not to overpay led Mayfield to remain in Browns exile into July. Rhule and Fitterer wanted Mayfield at the Panthers’ minicamp. Instead, the four-year Cleveland QB1 had barely two weeks to digest new OC Ben McAdoo‘s offense ahead of training camp.
But Mayfield, his brutal 2019 and ’21 seasons notwithstanding, represents a clear upgrade for the Panthers. His Offensive Rookie of the Year second-place finish and his bounce-back 2020 season under Kevin Stefanski, snapping the NFL’s longest active playoff drought, reflects well on his abilities — at least compared to Darnold.
Mayfield, 27, also had mostly better offensive lines compared to the passer drafted two spots after him, but Darnold maxed out at 26th in QBR (2019) and has placed 33rd in this metric in each of the past two seasons. While inconsistent, Mayfield (10th in QBR in 2020, a 26-touchdown pass, eight-interception year that had the Browns near a surprise AFC championship game bid) has reached much higher peaks and would not shock by becoming an above-average starter again. Darnold has not come particularly close to that level.
In Carolina, the polarizing passer is on track to have a chance to play behind a much better Panthers O-line than Darnold had in 2021 and work with a more well-rounded receiving corps than he had in Cleveland. Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry represented, on paper, a strong receiver foundation. But the Mayfield-Beckham fit is part of the reason why the 2017 Heisman winner is in Charlotte. Working with D.J. Moore, Robbie Anderson and Christian McCaffrey (ideally) could provide Mayfield gateways to either an intriguing free agency bid or a long-term Panthers contract. The apparent upgrade aside, Mayfield injects a high degree of variance into a make-or-break season for Rhule, whose two prior QB swings (Darnold and Teddy Bridgewater) missed.
The Panthers will wait to determine Mayfield’s extension viability, but with the team likely to have a fourth Week 1 QB in four years, it would be wise — if a healthy Mayfield re-establishes himself — for Carolina to attempt to keep its trade acquisition off the 2023 market. The Panthers have a history of a buy-low quarterback breaking through in Year 1, with Jake Delhomme guiding the 2003 team to Super Bowl XXXVIII and signing two extensions. Although Carolina does not look particularly close to a Super Bowl contender, this season could be one of the more interesting QB slates — as Mayfield could veer back toward a franchise-QB contract or skid into stopgap-starter purgatory — in recent memory.
Anything from 2023 franchise-tag value to QB2 money could await the ex-Progressive pitchman come March. Mayfield’s 2022 performance will likely determine this scuffling franchise’s trajectory.
Free agency additions:
- Austin Corbett, G. Three years, $26.25MM. $19.6MM guaranteed.
- Xavier Woods, S. Three years, $15MM. $6MM guaranteed.
- Matt Ioannidis, DL. One year, $5.9MM. $5.8MM guaranteed.
- Johnny Hekker, P. Three years, $7.62MM. $4.87MM guaranteed.
- Damien Wilson, LB. Two years, $6.9MM. $3.27MM guaranteed.
- Cory Littleton, LB. One year, $2.6MM. $1.93MM guaranteed.
- Bradley Bozeman, C. One year, $2.8MM. $1MM guaranteed.
- D’Onta Foreman, RB. One year, $2MM. $940K guaranteed.
- Andre Roberts, WR. One year, $1.75MM. $900K guaranteed.
- Rashard Higgins, WR. One year, $1.19MM. $153K guaranteed.
Darnold, Newton and P.J. Walker faced steady pressure last season. Pro Football Focus rated Carolina’s offensive line 31st. Panthers QBs were sacked 52 times — fifth-most in the league. The team responded by adding three starter-caliber O-linemen, including two veterans during free agency’s first week.
Corbett, a Mayfield teammate for a season and change, did not find his form until relocating from Cleveland to Los Angeles. The Rams plugged in the 2018 second-round pick at both left and right guard during his 2 1/2-season L.A. run. After the Browns did not feel Corbett was ready (one start in 1 1/2 seasons), the Rams used him as a full-timer almost throughout his tenure. Corbett started every game over the past two seasons, filling in as a much-needed rookie-contract starter for the NFL’s premier star-chasing team. PFF graded Corbett as a top-25 guard in each of the past two years, but the Rams’ penchant for splashy extensions forces them to let role players walk annually. The Panthers will benefit and have Corbett tied to a deal barely inside the guard top five through 2024.
Surprisingly, Bozeman was available for much cheaper. PFF’s No. 11 center last season, Bozeman was unable to follow the Ryan Jensen path. The Ravens’ latest contract-year center success story will need to prove himself again. This deal is a bargain for the Panthers, who now have Bozeman in a battle with Pat Elflein, who signed a three-year, $13.5MM deal in 2021. Brought in as a guard alongside Matt Paradis, Elflein played both interior spots last season. The loser of this competition will represent a valuable swing player. Though, if Elflein loses, the Panthers will have some slightly expensive backup O-linemen in Elflein and Cameron Erving ($4.1MM 2022 base salary).
Carolina has more options up front this year. Ioannidis will move from a Washington team that had so many options it reduced its former sack leader’s workload. Ioannidis being a Temple alum naturally led him to Rhule, an ex-Temple HC-turned-hoarder of mid-2010s Owls. Rhule’s insistence on adding his old college players aside, Ioannidis totaled 16 sacks and 27 QB hits from 2018-19 — before Washington’s Montez Sweat–Chase Young duo formed — and earned an extension. Washington’s current regime bailed on that deal, and he suffered a bicep tear early in 2020. Minimized behind Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen in Washington last season, Ioannidis should have a clearer role alongside Derrick Brown.
Foreman found footing as Derrick Henry‘s primary replacement last season, accumulating 133 carries after totaling just 29 from 2018-20. The former third-round pick averaged 4.3 yards per carry. If the Panthers are to keep McCaffrey relatively healthy, Foreman needs to be a backfield regular. The team has not used its backups enough when McCaffrey has been available, but after the rampant 2020s injury trouble, the one-time All-Pro has hit a crossroads season. The Panthers listened on CMC trade calls this offseason, though moving his still-market-topping $16MM-per-year contract would have been difficult after the past two seasons. McCaffrey, 26, has missed 22 games since 2020.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/4/22
Today’s minor transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: WR Marcell Ateman
- Released: OL Eric Smith
- Activated from PUP: TE Maxx Williams
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: CB Tae Hayes
- Waived: LS Thomas Fletcher
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on PUP: LB Anthony Barr
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Darrius Shepherd
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: WR Austin Trammell
- Waived/injured: TE Kyle Markway
New York Giants
- Claimed off waivers (from Browns): DB Nate Meadors
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated off NFI: S Minkah Fitzpatrick
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on IR: TE Jordan Matthews (story)
Washington Commanders
- Signed: CB De’Vante Bausby
- Waived (injury designation): LB Drew White