Minor NFL Transactions: 3/30/21

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Carolina Panthers

Green Bay Packers

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

Tennessee Titans

Kyle Love Retires From NFL

Defensive tackle Kyle Love announced his retirement on Sunday (via Instagram). Love, 34, did not play in 2020 and he will not seek NFL employment for 2021. 

Love entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State in 2010. He spent three seasons with the Patriots, appearing in 41 total games before being diagnosed with diabetes and waived with a non-football illness designation. He appeared in only three contests from 2013-14 while playing for the Chiefs, Jaguars, and Panthers, but he eventually reestablished his career with Carolina. From 2017-2019, Love appeared in at least 37% of the Panthers’ defensive snaps. Last year, after six years with the Panthers, he agreed to join the rival Buccaneers.

Love was set to serve as a rotational piece behind of Vita Vea and Ndamukong Suh, but he was released before the final cut in September. We here at PFR wish Love the best in retirement.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/24/21

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Green Bay Packers

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

Seattle Seahawks

Panthers Sign LB Frankie Luvu, Re-Sign OL John Miller

The Panthers added players on both sides of the ball today. The team first announced the signing of linebacker Frankie Luvu, and they later announced that they’ve re-signed offensive lineman John Miller.

Luvu, a former undrafted free agent out of Washington State, spent the first three seasons of his career with the Jets organization, appearing in 40 total games. The 24-year-old showed signs of being a solid pass rusher throughout his stint with New York, collecting six sacks and 16 QB hits. He also finished the 2020 campaign with a career-high 25 tackles.

Miller is rejoining the Panthers on a one-year deal. The former third-rounder spent the first four seasons of his career with the Bills, starting each of his 47 appearances. He had a brief stop in Cincinnati during the 2019 campaign before joining Carolina last offseason. He proceeded to start 14 games for the Panthers in 2020 at right guard.

The Panthers have been busy adding to their offensive line this offseason. After franchising left tackle Taylor Moton, the team added a pair of free agents in Cam Erving and Pat Elflein.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/22/21

Today’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Los Angeles Chargers

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Tennessee Titans

Panthers To Sign TE Dan Arnold

Tight end Dan Arnold has agreed to sign with the Panthers, according to a source who spoke with Peter Schrager of NFL.com (on Twitter). The deal reunites Arnold with his former Saints coach, Joe Brady

Arnold’s two-year deal is worth $6MM, according to Schrager. Not bad for a UDFA out of Division III Wisconsin-Platteville. Arnold was used sparingly as a rookie in New Orleans, but he made the most of his 12 receptions by taking them for 150 yards and a touchdown. Then, last year, he reemerged with the Cardinals and finished out with 31 grabs for 438 yards and four touchdowns.

The Panthers just lost tight end Chris Manhertz to the Jaguars in free agency, so there’s an opportunity for Arnold to play. Still, even with Arnold’s pass-catching ability, the Panthers might need to replace Manhertz’s blocking on the TE depth chart.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/18/21

We’ll keep tabs on today’s “minor” moves here:

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Panthers To Sign David Moore

The Panthers just lost a receiver when Curtis Samuel signed with Washington, and now they’re adding one. Carolina has agreed to terms with David Moore, Bill Voth of the team’s official site tweets.

It’s a two-year deal for the D2 product out of East Central University, long-time Panthers beat writer Joseph Person tweets. The pact is worth $4.75MM over two years with $1.25MM guaranteed, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweets. Moore was a seventh-round pick of the Seahawks in 2017, and he turned into a nice unheralded find. He appeared in only one game with no stats as a rookie, but quickly broke out as a sophomore.

In 2018 he played in all 16 games, racking up 26 catches for 445 yards and five touchdowns, averaging an impressive 17.1 yards per reception as a deep threat. This past season in 16 games and six starts, he had 35 catches for 417 yards and six touchdowns.

Moore turned 26 in January, and it’ll be interesting to see what he can do when not buried behind Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf. Carolina is reportedly aggressively looking for an upgrade at quarterback over Teddy Bridgewater, so it’s unclear who he’ll be catching passes from in 2021.

The Panthers currently have Robby Anderson and D.J. Moore at receiver, but little outside of them, so Moore should have a good chance at winning the third receiver job depending on what they do in the draft.

Panthers To Sign Rashaan Melvin

Rashaan Melvin‘s jersey collection has grown even larger. On Thursday, the veteran cornerback agreed to join the Panthers on a one-year deal, as ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets

Melvin has now signed deals with more than 25% of the NFL. His last stop with the Jaguars came to an end on Wednesday. Melvin’s $2.25MM salary for 2020 tolled into 2021 due to his COVID-19 opt out, but Jacksonville wanted to put those resources elsewhere.

Melvin’s best seasons came with the Colts. After his breakout year in 2016, Melvin delivered 36 tackles, three interceptions, and 13 passes defended in 2017. Pro Football Focus ranked him 17th among 120 eligible cornerbacks that year. He’ll try to get back to his old form — or closer to it — in Carolina.

He originally signed with the Bucs as an UDFA in 2013, but had only started two career games when he suddenly found himself a starter with Indy in 2016. His play with the Colts landed him a one-year, $5.5MM deal from the Raiders in 2018.

The journeyman has now spent various amounts of time with the Bucs, Dolphins, Ravens, Patriots, Colts, Raiders, Lions, and Jags. Despite that, he’s still only 31.

Panthers To Sign Morgan Fox

The Panthers are signing defensive lineman Morgan Fox, per Albert Breer of TheMMQB (via Twitter). Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network adds that it will be a two-year, $8.1MM deal, with $7MM guaranteed (Twitter link).

Fox, 26, joined the Rams as a UDFA in 2016. His entire 2018 campaign was wiped out by an ACL tear, but in 2017, 2019, and 2020, he worked as a situational pass rusher and performed reasonably well in that role.

He saved his best for 2020, appearing in 39% of Los Angeles’ defensive snaps and recording six sacks, both career highs. He will join the newly-signed Haason Reddick as part of Carolina’s revamped pass rush.

The Panthers finished in the bottom fourth of the league in 2020 with just 29 team sacks, and Reddick and Fox should help push that number higher this season.

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