Cam Newton Progressing Well In Recovery From Shoulder Surgery
- Good news for Panthers fans. Per David Newton of ESPN.com, Carolina quarterback Cam Newton says his rehab from shoulder surgery is going “unbelievable,” and he hopes to be throwing before training camp. Newton, who turns 30 on Saturday, still doesn’t have a timetable for when he’ll be cleared, but everything is trending upwards so far.
Panthers Cut S Da’Norris Searcy
The Panthers cut safety Da’Norris Searcy, according to a team announcement. In a related move, the club also waived offensive tackle Isaiah Battle. 
Searcy joined the Panthers on a two-year, $5.7MM deal lasty offseason with the ability to make up to $3.1MM in 2017. A former fourth-round pick, Searcy managed 12 tackles and one interception in his first year with Carolina while grading as the NFL’s No. 61 safety among 87 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
Last year, Searcy missed eight games due to a pair of concussions suffered in September and did not make it back to the field despite being designated for return in late November. By releasing him, the Panthers will incur a modest $650K cap hit while saving $1.76MM.
Without Searcy, 2018 third-round pick Rashaan Gaulden appears to be in line for a starting safety spot opposite of Eric Reid. It’s also possible that the Panthers could add a veteran safety in the offseason to compete for the gig.
Battle, 26, joined Carolina on a futures deal in January. The 6’7″ Clemson product has bounced around the league since entering as a supplemental pick of the Rams in 2015, but has yet to see live action.
Panthers Decline Vernon Butler’s Option
The Panthers announced that they have declined their fifth-year option on defensive tackle Vernon Butler. The former first-round pick is now slated for unrestricted free agency after the 2019 season. 
The Panthers picked up the fifth-year option of every first round pick from Cam Newton (2011 draft) all the way through 2015. Today, that streak ends with Butler’s extra year being turned down.
Butler was drafted No. 30 overall under the Dave Gettleman administration. The Panthers had high hopes for the Louisiana Tech product, but he’s amassed just 45 tackles and two sacks as a bench player over the last three years. And, last year, Butler was a healthy scratch for two straight games. In short – the decision to turn down Butler’s additional year was widely expected.
NFL teams have until Friday to make the call on the fifth-year options for 2016 first-round picks, but most clubs have already made their decisions.
Panthers Sign Four Undrafted Free Agents
The Panthers are the latest team to announced their 2019 undrafted free agent crop following the conclusion of last weekend’s draft. Carolina has agreed to terms with the following four players:
- Corrion Ballard, S (Utah)
- Elijah Holyfield, RB (Georgia)
- Damion Jeanpiere Jr., WR (Nicholls State)
- Jordan Kunaszyk, LB (California)
As Josh Norris of Rotoworld recently tweeted, the Panthers have been among the active NFL teams in signing Alliance of American Football veterans. Just this week, Carolina inked a pair of ex-AAF tight ends, bringing its total of AAF alums to eight. As such, the club didn’t necessarily have the roster space to add many undrafted collegiate free agents.
Holyfield, the son of heavyweight boxer Evander Holyfield, was viewed as a potential late-round pick, and Lance Zierlein of NFL.com compared him to NFL veteran Mark Ingram. Holyfield will compete with Cameron Artis-Payne, Elijah Hood, Reggie Bonnafon, and rookie fifth-rounder Jordan Scarlett for playing time behind Christian McCaffrey.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/30/19
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: TE Marcus Baugh (AAF), TE Cole Hunt (AAF)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Claimed off waivers from 49ers: LB James Onwualu
New York Giants
- Waived: T Jylan Ware
Oakland Raiders
- Waived: RB James Butler, LB Cayson Collins, WR Rashard Davis, G/C Cameron Hunt, WR De’Mornay Pierson-El
Philadelphia Eagles
- Claimed off waivers from 49ers: S Godwin Igwebuike
Washington Redskins
- Waived: DB Alex Carter, G Kyle Fuller, T Darius James, WR Tre McBride, DB Harlan Miller, OL Salesi Uhatafe
D.J. Moore Signs With Rosenhaus
- Panthers wide receiver D.J. Moore has hired Drew Rosenhaus to represent him, per Sports Business Journal’s Liz Mullen (via Twitter). Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey will team up in repping the Maryland product, who posted 788 yards on 55 receptions in 2018.
Broncos Acquire No. 187 From Panthers
After a long stretch without a trade, the draft saw a deal finalized. The Broncos will use the Day 3 trade route to add a wide receiver to their mix.
The Panthers dealt No. 187 to the Broncos. They will move back 25 spots to No. 212 and pick up a seventh-rounder (No. 237). Denver selected Colorado wideout Juwann Winfree.
Winfree joins Noah Fant as incoming Broncos pass catchers and will reunite with Colorado alum-turned-Pro Bowler Phillip Lindsay. Winfree shares an agent with Lindsay and had a strong pro day, running a sub-4.5-second 40-yard dash. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound wideout will be the fourth first- or second-year wideout in the mix in Denver. The Broncos have Courtland Sutton, DaeSean Hamilton and Tim Patrick supplementing Emmanuel Sanders on their roster.
A one-time Maryland transfer, Winfree did not boast stellar stats at Colorado. He did not exceed 325 receiving yards in either of his two Buffaloes seasons, scoring four touchdowns in that span as well. Although, Winfrey dealt with injuries as a senior.
Seahawks Send No. 37 Pick To Panthers
John Schneider gave notice he was on the lookout for additional picks, with the Seahawks entering the draft with a league-low four. He is achieving this goal.
The Seahawks again traded down, giving the Panthers the No. 37 pick. Carolina used it on tackle Greg Little. In return for moving down to No. 47, the Seahawks will add an extra third-rounder — No. 77.
Little adds to the Panthers’ key offensive line transactions this offseason. They re-signed Daryl Williams and added Matt Paradis. Little profiles as a possible left tackle starter. Former second-round pick Taylor Moton held that job down last season.
This marks the third time the Seahawks have moved down thus far in this draft, having made multiple deals on Thursday night.
Draft Rumors: Bush, Redskins, Rams
Let’s round up the latest draft rumors in advance of tonight’s main event:
- We heard several days ago that the Falcons were interested in trading into the Top 10, and that they had their sights set on defensive linemen like Christian Wilkins and offensive linemen. Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network confirms that Atlanta is indeed interested in moving up, but his sources say the club’s target is actually linebacker Devin Bush (Twitter link). Per Pelissero, the Falcons would need to leapfrog the Broncos, who hold the No. 10 overall pick, to assure themselves of landing Bush.
- Despite all of the rumors suggesting that the Redskins are interested in making a big trade up into the Top 5, Pro Football Talk says that all of the calls that team president Bruce Allen are making are just an example of Allen being Allen and that Washington doesn’t really have a desire to make a move (Twitter link).
- Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets that the Rams, who hold the No. 31 overall pick in tonight’s draft, have received a number of calls from teams wanting to trade into the back end of the first round. First-rounders, of course, can be kept under club control for five years instead of four.
- As Pelissero notes in a separate tweet, the teams that have shown the most interest in trading down from their current first-round slots are the Jets (No.3), Lions (No. 8), Dolphins (No. 13), Seahawks (Nos. 21 & 29), and Rams (No. 31).
- If Kyler Murray should start to fall down the draft board, he may end up having a better financial future in baseball. As Albert Breer of SI.com notes, MLB’s Oakland A’s have offered him a $14MM “sweetener” on top of the $4.6MM bonus he was already due after the club drafted him last year, for a total of $18.66MM. That number would land between the 10th and 11th overall picks in tonight’s NFL draft, so if Murray ends up falling that far, teams are concerned that he would return to the diamond. But Breer still thinks that Murray will be the No. 1 overall pick tonight.
- Breer calls Mississippi State defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons the most interesting prospect in the draft. He is one of the top defensive players in his class, but the troubling video showing him striking a woman in high school, along with his ACL tear, have completely removed him from some teams’ draft boards. But there is still a good chance that he will be selected in the first round tonight.
- The Panthers and Vikings are both very serious about addressing their needs along the offensive line with early draft picks, as Breer notes in a separate piece. Both clubs used a high number of top-30 visits on O-linemen.
- LSU cornerback Andraez “Greedy” Williams is perhaps the most talented corner in the draft, but as Breer notes, he comes with plenty of red flags concerning his toughness, work ethic, and personality. He did not make a single pre-draft visit, and despite his upside, he could slip out of the first round.
Jonathan Stewart Retires From NFL
Jonathan Stewart is calling it a career. On Tuesday, the longtime NFL running back announced his retirement and signed a one-day deal with Carolina so that he could leave the game as a member of the Panthers. 
Stewart pretty much spent his whole career with the Panthers, save for six carries with the Giants in 2018 before being placed on IR. In ten years with the Panthers, he amassed 7,318 rushing yards and 51 touchdowns on the ground. He also logged 162 catches for 1,295 yards and seven touchdowns.
Stewart was an immediate difference-maker for the Panthers after being selected with the No. 13 overall pick in 2008. Paired with DeAngelo Williams as one half of the “Double Trouble” tandem, J-Stew compiled 836 yards in his rookie season. Stewart would go on to top 1,100 yards in his sophomore season as a pro and flirt with the 1,000-yard mark in 2015, his lone Pro Bowl season.
Stewart, 32, will now be able to focus on other endeavors while spending more time with his family.