Amini Silatolu To Undergo Meniscus Surgery
Panthers left guard Amini Silatolu has a torn meniscus that will require surgery, the club announced Tuesday. Silatolu will undergo a procedure on Friday and will subsequently be evaluated on a “week-to-week basis.” Although Carolina didn’t announce a recovery timeline for Silatolu, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer indicates a four-to-six week rehabilitation period is typical for meniscus tears.
The Panthers could ill afford another blow to their offensive line, which already saw starting right tackle Daryl Williams go down with a dislocated knee and a torn MCL. Per Wilson, Williams is planning to attempt a 2018 return without undergoing surgery. Either way, Carolina’s offensive line — which ranked as a bottom-half unit in both run- and pass-blocking in 2017 before losing All-Pro left guard Andrew Norwell, per Football Outsiders — doesn’t have the depth to withstand multiple absences.
Silatolu had been competing to replace Norwell as a starting interior lineman, and had reportedly been seeing the most reps at the position. Now, undrafted rookie Brendan Mahon is the likely starter at left guard, according to Bill Voth of Panthers.com. Jeremiah Sirles and Greg Van Roten might also be candidates for increased reps, but Person reports Sirles is slotted in as a pure backup, while Van Roten has spent most of his time at center.
The 29-year-old Silatolu started three games and made 14 total appearnces for the Panthers in 2017, a season which marked his return season in Carolina. Originally a Panthers second-round pick and 15-game starter in 2012, Silatolu spent the 2016 campaign out of the NFL. He re-upped with Carolina this offseason on a one-year, minimum salary benefit contract.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/7/18
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: DE Sterling Bailey
- Waived: DT Ashaad Mabry
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: RB Akeem Judd
- Placed on injured reserve: LB C.J. Johnson
- Waived: G Ethan Cooper
Kansas City Chiefs
- Claimed off waivers: G Ethan Cooper
- Waived with left squad designation: C Jack Allen
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: T Jarron Jones
- Waived: K Trevor Moore
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB Brandon Chubb, TE Jerome Cunningham
- Placed on injured reserve: LB Nate Palmer
- Waived: TE Phillip Supernaw
Washington Redskins
- Signed: LB Cassanova McKinzy, DL Dante Sawyer
- Waived/injured: DL Tavaris Barnes, LB Alex McCalister
Thomas Davis Reiterates That He Wants To Play In 2019
Earlier this offseason, Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis made it sound like 2018 was going to be his final season in the NFL. However, the veteran acknowledged last month that he was open to continuing his playing career in 2019. Today, the 35-year-old echoed that sentiment, telling Panthers.com that his impending four-game suspension played a role in him changing his mind.
Julius Peppers Comes Off PUP List
Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers has passed his physical and has been removed from the PUP list, as David Newton of ESPN.com reports. The team has a practice at 3:15 this afternoon, and Peppers will participate.
Peppers reunited with the Panthers last offseason after a four-year run with the Bears and a three-year stint with the Packers. The former No. 2 overall pick turned back the clock, as he posted 11 sacks for Carolina in 2017, his highest total since the 2012 campaign. His efforts made him the best pass rusher on this year’s free agent market in our eyes, despite the fact that he is now 38 years old.
Sack totals are not necessarily indicative of overall performance, but Pro Football Focus graded Peppers as a league-average defensive end last year, ranking him 63rd among 110 qualifying edge defenders. He played 50% of Carolina’s defensive snaps in 2017, and he’ll likely continue in a rotational role during the upcoming season.
The surefire Hall-of-Famer will earn $5MM in 2018, which represents a nice raise from the $3.5MM he made last year. He has accumulated a whopping 154.5 sacks in his career, the fourth-most in league history, and he could pass Kevin Greene‘s 160 mark this season. He also has nine Pro Bowls and three first-team All-Pro selections to his credit, but he is still chasing that elusive Super Bowl ring. He is hoping to achieve that last milestone with the team that drafted him over 16 years ago.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/1/18
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Claimed: OT Adam Bisnowaty (from Lions)
- Placed on injured reserve: CB Ross Cockrell (story)
Detroit Lions
- Signed CB Josh Okonye
- Waived: CB Amari Coleman
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: OL Michael Dunn, TE DeAndre Goolsby
- Waived/injured: OL Brandon Thomas
- Waived: LS Andrew East
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: LB Otha Peters
- Waived: WR Ashton Lampkin
New Orleans Saints
- Waived/injured: WR Eldridge Massington, WR Josh Smith
New York Giants
- Claimed: OL Victor Salako (from Browns)
Tennessee Titans
- Retired: OL John Theus
Panthers’ Ross Cockrell Suffers Broken Leg
More bad news for the Panthers. After key offensive lineman Daryl Williams dislocated his knee and tore his MCL yesterday, they were struck with another serious injury to a player expected to have a big role. Cornerback Ross Cockrell broke his leg, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). There’s no timetable for Cockrell’s recovery just yet, but the injury will certainly cost him regular season games. 
Cockrell, 27 in August, was sent to the Giants in a September 2017 trade that netted the Steelers a conditional seventh-round draft pick. A former fourth-round pick, Cockrell went on to start nine games for Big Blue, collecting three interceptions and grading as the NFL’s No. 39 cornerback among 120 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. This offseason, the Panthers signed him to a two-year, $6.8MM contract.
In 2017, Cockrell finished first in Football Outsiders’ success rate, which measures cornerbacks on their ability to consistently stop opposing wideouts short of the sticks. In fact, Cockrell was one of only eight defenders who stopped a receiver short of a successful gain on over half their tackles a season ago, as FO’s Aaron Schatz tweeted earlier this year. The league has consistently undervalued him and his skillset, but the Panthers recognized his ability and were looking forward to what he could contribute this year.
Daryl Williams Has Dislocated Knee, Torn MCL
Panthers tackle Daryl Williams was rolled up on during a training camp practice earlier today, and now the diagnosis is in. Williams “dislocated [the] right patella and tore the MCL in the same knee” according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Rapoport notes that the injury is “not as bad as anticipated,” but it’s still very serious. The team’s official release on the injury said there’s “no timetable” for his return.
Rapoport then reported in a follow-up tweet that the injury “is not expected to be season-ending,” but as Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer tweets, head coach Ron Rivera said the team is still unsure as to whether it will try to get Williams back this year. Williams will clearly be missing at least some of the regular season, then, which represents a huge blow to the Panthers’ prospects.
2017 second-round pick Taylor Moton is the “next man up” noted Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link). It’s a tough break for Williams, who has been looking for a new contract recently. It was reported back in June that there was a “monster gap” between the two sides during negotiations.
Williams, a fourth round pick in 2015, will be a free agent after the season. The Panthers were already going to have some turnover on the offensive line with guard Andrew Norwell departing for Jacksonville in free agency, and now will have even less continuity. It’s bad news for Cam Newton in what some are billing as a make-or-break year for the quarterback.
Daryl Williams Goes Down With Serious Knee Injury
- Panthers right tackle Daryl Williams appeared to suffer a serious knee injury during practice today, writes Bryan Strickland of the team’s website. The 25-year-old reportedly went down following a “non-contact injury,” and he was later carted off the field. “He’s being evaluated,” said head coach Ron Rivera. “They’ll send him up to Charlotte where he can be closely looked at, and we’ll go from there. I’m not sure. I just know they’re going to take him up and evaluate him later today…Daryl is a solid young man, and he’s a big part of what we do. We’ll keep our fingers crossed.” If the 2017 second-team All-Pro ends up missing time, Rivera said 2017 second-round pick Taylor Moton will be given the chance to earn the starting gig.
[SOURCE LINK]
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/25/18
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: DB Terrance Parks
Buffalo Bills
- Released: DL Tenny Palepoi
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: TE Cam Serigne
- Released: DT Drew Iddings
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Mark Chapman
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Adonis Jennings, Kyle Lewis
Indianpolis Colts
- Signed: S Shamarko Thomas
- Waived: CB Juante Baldwin
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived: OL Donavon Clark
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: WR Aaron Lacombe, WR Khadarel Lott, WR JoJo Natson
- Waived: WR LaQuvionte Gonzalez, WR Ricky Jeune
New York Giants
- Signed: DT Izaah Lunsford
- Waived: TE Kyle Carter, P Taylor Symmank
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived/injured: DB Trey Johnson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: S Josh Liddell, T Jerry Ugokwe
- Waived/Injured: DT Channing Ward
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DE Claude Pelon
Washington Redskins
- Signed: DB Prince Charles Iworah
- Waived/Injured: RB Keith Marshall
Panthers’ Vernon Butler Accused Of Assault
Panthers defensive tackle Vernon Butler has been accused of assaulting a woman at a Dallas night club earlier this month, according to a report from WSCOTV in Texas.
Butler had reached out to the woman via Instagram, but she’d rejected his advances, the woman’s attorney tells Morgan Fogarty of WCCB Charlotte (Twitter link). When the two met at a Dallas night club two weeks ago, Butler was once again spurned, and allegedly responded by throwing ice at the woman’s face. After the woman fell down stairs, Butler reportedly pushed her again, and though WSCOTV’s report states the woman was escorted out of the club with a bruised face, her attorney tells Fogarty the woman had no visible injuries.
The Dallas Police Department confirmed they’re investigating the claims, but no charges have yet been filed against Butler. Needless to say, Butler could face legal discipline if the allegations prove true, but Fogarty reports this offense would be classified as a “Type C” assault, the lowest level of assault. Butler could clear that charge by paying a fine, but the NFL itself could also issue punishment against Butler, regardless of whether he’s found guilty.
Butler, 24, was a first-round pick out of Louisiana Tech in the 2016 draft. During his two-year stint with the Panthers, he’s appeared in 24 total games but made no starts. Last season, Butler played on roughly a third of Carolina’s defensive snaps, managing eight tackles in the process.