Latest On Panthers TE Greg Olsen
The broken foot suffered by Panthers tight Greg Olsen will not be a season-ender, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Instead, he could be out for as little as six games. 
A stint on the injured reserve list is also possible, Rapoport hears. That would allow the Panthers to open up a roster spot while Olsen is sidelined, but it would also mean that he will have to miss a minimum of eight weeks.
As of this writing, Ed Dickson stands as the team’s top healthy tight end with Chris Manhertz as his only backup. Dickson did produce as a pass-catcher with the Ravens, but he is now several seasons removed from the 2011 campaign in which he had 54 grabs for 528 yards and five scores. Since then, he has not topped 25 receptions in any season and he has never managed more than 134 receiving yards as a member of the Panthers. It might behoove the Panthers to add another experience tight end with soft hands and that could be made possible by moving Olsen to IR.
Panthers’ Greg Olsen Suffers Broken Foot
Panthers tight end Greg Olsen broke his foot on Sunday. There is no timetable for Olsen’s recovery, but he already admits that he’s going to miss “a lot of games.” 
The Panthers beat the Bills by a score of 9-3 on Sunday and it’ll be even harder to come by points without one of Cam Newton‘s favorite targets on the field. For now, Ed Dickson profiles as the team’s new No. 1 tight end with Chris Manhertz as the backup. At minimum, the Panthers can be expected to sign another tight end for depth. If the Panthers want to sign an experienced TE with a history of offensive production, they could call on Gary Barnidge now that the Texans have passed on him.
Olsen hasn’t missed a game since his rookie season in 2007, so this is unfamiliar territory for him. In his previous six seasons with Carolina, Olsen has averaged 71 catches, 897 yards, and five touchdowns per campaign.
The 32-year-old has two seasons to go on the three-year, $22.5MM pact he inked before the 2015 season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/16/17
Here are today’s minor moves.
- Jason Verrett‘s impending injury absence will cause the Chargers to add cornerback depth. The Bolts signed cornerback Michael Davis from their practice squad and cut wideout Geremy Davis, Eric Williams of ESPN.com reports. The Chargers signed Geremy Davis on Monday as Dontrelle Inman insurance, but he didn’t play in Los Angeles’ Week 1 game. Michael Davis is a rookie UDFA out of BYU.
- The 49ers promoted cornerback Asa Jackson from their practice squad and waived fellow corner Keith Reaser to clear a roster spot, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com tweets. A fifth-round 49ers pick in 2014, Reaser played in 29 games for the team — including last week’s loss to the Panthers — but didn’t start any. San Francisco signed Jackson, an ex-Ravens starter, in August and stashed him on the practice squad after the preseason.
- Nose tackles Kyle Peko and Tyrique Jarrett will once again trade places with the Broncos. Denver will promote Peko from its practice squad and waive Jarrett, Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post tweets. A rookie UDFA out of Pittsburgh, Jarrett saw Week 1 work on a depleted Broncos line. Peko, a cousin of Broncos starting nose Domata Peko, was waived last weekend.
- The Colts promoted linebacker Darnell Sankey from their practice squad, cutting wide receiver Matt Hazel to make room, Mike Chappell of IndySportsCentral.com reports (via Twitter). Both Antonio Morrison and Anthony Walker are dealing with injuries, making this an insurance addition.
- The Jets signed outside linebacker Freddie Bishop and defensive lineman Lawrence Thomas from their practice squad, Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets. The team also waived linebacker Edmond Robinson with an injury settlement.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/15/17
Friday’s practice squad moves…
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: TE Bucky Hodges
- Cut: WR Keyarris Garrett
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DB C.J. Smith
Houston Texans
- Signed: TE MyCole Pruitt
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: WR Fred Brown
Panthers Claim John Theus From 49ers
The Panthers announced that they’ve claimed offensive tackle John Theus off waivers from the 49ers. Carolina also placed undrafted rookie cornerback Cole Luke on injured reserve with an ankle problem.
The 49ers waived Theus on Wednesday, ending a union that lasted just over a season. Theus joined the team in 2016 as a fifth-round pick out of Georgia and went on to appear in four of San Francisco’s game last season, starting one. He totaled just 88 snaps in a 49ers uniform a year ago and wasn’t active for their season-opening loss to his new team, the Panthers, last Sunday.
Theus will serve as depth in Carolina, which starts Matt Kalil and Daryl Williams at the tackle positions. Amini Silatolu and Taylor Moton make up the other Panthers bookends.
Practice Squad Updates: 9/14/17
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OT Ulrick John, OT Vinston Painter
- Cut: OT T Givens Price
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: CB Greg Mabin
- Cut: TE MyCole Pruitt
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: K Harrison Butker
- Cut: DT Eric Crume
Detroit Lions
- Signed: DT Christian Ringo
- Cut: DT Daniel Ross
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: DL Quinton Jefferson
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: LB Adam Bighill
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DL Channing Ward
- Cut: DE Sterling Bailey
Panthers Claim CB Ladarius Gunter
Former Packers cornerback Ladarius Gunter was claimed off waivers by the Panthers, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. In a corresponding move, the Panthers are releasing kicker Harrison Butker. 
Gunter had the most defensive snaps of any Packers cornerback in 2016. He was productive early on, but he slowed down towards the end of the season and slipped down the depth chart over the summer. He was on the field for only two snaps in Green Bay’s season opener.
The release of Butker means that Graham Gano will be sticking with the team. Earlier this month, the Panthers were receiving calls of trade interest in Gano, leading to speculation that they could move him for a draft pick and stick with Butker. That won’t be the case as the Georgia Tech product is now subject to waivers.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/11/17
Monday’s minor moves from around the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Philip Wheeler
- Waived: LB Scooby Wright
Carolina Panthers
- Released with injury settlement: WR Brenton Bersin, C Gino Gradkowski, OL Chris Scott
- Waived with injury settlement: S L.J. McCray
Denver Broncos
- Promoted from practice squad: DT Tyrique Jarrett
Detroit Lions
- Signed: LB Nick Bellore
- Waived: OT Storm Norton
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Geremy Davis
- Waived: CB Jeff Richards
Minnesota Vikings
- Released with injury settlement: QB Taylor Heinicke
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Adam Bighill
New York Jets
- Released with injury settlement: LB Corey Lemonier
- Waived with injury settlement: WR Lucky Whitehead
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Released with injury settlement: S Jordan Dangerfield
NFL Workout Updates: 9/8/17
Today’s NFL workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter unless otherwise noted:
Atlanta Falcons
- QBs Garrett Grayson and Mitch Leidner (link)
Carolina Panthers
- T Korren Kirven (link)
Detroit Lions
- QB Joel Stave; WR Malachi Dupre; OTs Landon Lechler and Givens Price; DT Taylor Harris; S James Sample (Twitter links)
Green Bay Packers
- G Darrell Greene; OTs Cornelius Lucas and Jeremiah Poutasi; DE Jhaustin Thomas (link)
Indianapolis Colts
- RB Kenjon Barner (link)
Kansas City Chiefs
- DB Akeem King (link)
New England Patriots
- WR Gabe Marks; TE Ryan O’Malley (Twitter links via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com)
New York Jets
- RB Cyrus Gray; TE Nick Truesdell; C Erik Austell; G Brandon Thomas; WRs K.J. Brent, Bug Howard, and Domonique Young; TE Robert Tonyan; DE Tyrone Holmes; DT Caraun Reid; LB Vontarrius Dora; CBs Elie Bouka, Jarnor Jones, Damian Swann, and Robert Nelson; S Trey Caldwell and K.J. Dillon (Twitter links: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Philadelphia Eagles
- DBs De’Vante Bausby, Elie Bouka, Trey Caldwell, and Jarnor Jones (link)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- DE Jonathan Woodard; CBs Chris Humes and Sammy Seamster (link)
Tennessee Titans
- DB JaCorey Shepherd (link)
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/7/17
Here are today’s minor moves.
Buffalo Bills
- Released from IR: OL Michael Ola
Carolina Panthers
- Released from IR: CB Zack Sanchez
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DE Tyrone Holmes
- Cut: OL Zach Sterup, QB Josh Woodrum
Houston Texans
- Released from IR: TE RaShaun Allen, CB Malik Smith
New England Patriots
- Signed: C/G Ted Karras