Michael Oher Cited For Misdemeanor Assault
Panthers offensive tackle Michael Oher has been cited for misdemeanor assault after a Nashville Uber driver accused the veteran lineman of assault, according to a report from WSOCTV. Oher will appear for booking on May 8.
The driver alleges that he and Oher engaged in a disagreement on April 14 as Oher was being driven to downtown Nashville. After the driver put his hand on Oher’s face — an action the driver admits — Oher reportedly knocked the driver to the ground.
Oher, 30, had seemingly been dislodged from Carolina’s 2017 plans even before news of an alleged assault broke. The Panthers signed free agent Matt Kalil to displace Oher at left tackle, and subsequently drafted offensive lineman Taylor Moton in the second round. Moton figures to compete with Oher and Daryl Williams for time at right tackle.
Health questions could prevent Oher from even taking the field at any point in the near future, however, as Oher was still in the NFL’s concussion protocol as of early March. If the Panthers did decided to cut ties with Oher, they’d take on $3MM in dead money versus $2.5MM in cap savings. A post-June 1 release would create $4.5MM in cap space while only keeping $1MM in dead money on the cap.
Latest On Bills’ General Manager Search
Panthers executive Brandon Beane‘s interview for the Bills’ general manager position will take place on Thursday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twittter link).
Beane is one of two known candidates for the Buffalo vacancy, as the club also has plans to meet with Texans director of player personnel Brian Gaine on Thursday. Meanwhile, while the Bills haven’t formally requested a meeting with Panthers director of player personnel Don Gregory, he is “on [Buffalo’s] list,” tweets Mike Garafolo of NFL.com, who adds the Bills could look to interview Gregory in the near future.
Running back LeSean McCoy has his own preferred candidate for the GM position, as he took to Twitter on Wednesday to advocate for Chiefs co-director of player personnel Brett Veach for the Bills position. Veach worked for the Eagles when McCoy was drafted in the second round of the 2009 draft, and was in fact pushing for McCoy to be Philadelphia’selection, tweets former NFL scout Dan Hatman. Needless to say, McCoy has no say in the Buffalo search process, and Veach hasn’t been contacted as of yet.
Panthers Claim Zach Moore
- Defensive lineman Zach Moore was the third former 49er (joining Balducci and Mike Purcell, who landed with the Rams) to land with a new club today, as the Panthers claimed the 26-year-old off waivers today. Moore is a former sixth-round pick of the Patriots who’s bounced around during three seasons in the NFL, as he’s also spent time with the Vikings and Cowboys. He’ll add depth in Carolina, but seems unlikely to make a roster that is relatively deep at defensive end.
Gary Barnidge May Visit Panthers, Jaguars
If tight end Gary Barnidge leaves his visit with the Bills without a contract, he figures to take several more trips. Barnidge is halting his free agent tour to attend the Kentucky Derby on Sunday, but may meet with the Panthers and Jaguars in the near future, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Were Barnidge to sign with Carolina, he’d return to the club where he spent the first four years of his NFL career. Barnidge, 31, was a bit player during his stint with the Panthers, as he only totaled 18 receptions during his time with the team. The Panthers were linked to a number of tight ends during the draft, but ultimately stood pat with Greg Olsen, Ed Dickson, and Chris Manhertz.
Jacksonville, too, neglected to draft a tight end last week even after trading Julius Thomas to the Dolphins earlier this offseason. At present, the Jaguars’ tight end depth chart is comprised of Marcedes Lewis, Mychal Rivera, Ben Koyack, Neal Sterling, and Alex Ellis. Barnidge would likely become Jacksonville’s No. 1 tight end upon signing.
Bardnidge broke out during the 2015 campaign when he hauled in 79 receptions for 1,043 and nine touchdowns for the Browns. His numbers dipped last season, but he still managed 55 receptions, 14th among NFL tight ends.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/2/17
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: CB Brian Dixon
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: LB Cavellis Luckett
Carolina Panthers
- Waived: CB Tyler Patmon
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: K Brett Maher
Detroit Lions
- Waived: CB Ian Wells (failed physical)
New England Patriots
- Claimed off waivers: WR Devin Street
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived/injured: DT Aziz Shittu, WR Dom Williams
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived: RB Brandon Brown-Dukes, RB Gus Johnson, WR Canaan Severin, CB Al-Hajj Shabazz
Washington Redskins
- Waived LB Steven Daniels,WR Reggie Diggs, LB Rufus Johnson, OL Quinton Schooley
Panthers Cut Tre Boston
The Panthers announced that they have released safety Tre Boston. Fullback Devon Johnson, cornerback Lou Young, and tackles Jack Rodgers and Jordan Rigsbee have also been shown the door. 
Less than two months ago, it was reported that “at least one team” had reached out to the Panthers to inquire about Boston. His release at this juncture of the offseason comes as a bit of a surprise since the Panthers did not draft a safety last week. Boston appeared in 15 games (10 starts) last season and was projected to return as the team’s starting free safety in 2017.
Boston graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 46 safety last season, putting him in a three-way tie with Jairus Byrd and George Iloka. Boston’s coverage grades were not as strong as Byrd or Iloka, but he made up ground with a better showing in terms of pass rush. Boston’s 78.1 overall score stands as a career high, though he was roughly on the same plane in 2014 and 2015.
The Panthers currently have 86 players on the roster. After dropping Boston, they still have eight safeties on the roster: Mike Adams, Kurt Coleman, Colin Jones, Dean Marlowe, Travell Dixon, Dezmen Southward, Brian Blechen, and L.J. McCray.
Panthers Notes: Benjamin, Barber
Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin showed up to voluntary workouts overweight, which is concerning to head coach Ron Rivera (via Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer). Rivera did say that he has spoken with Benjamin and that the wideout is doing everything he has been asked to do to lose weight. Benjamin has battled weight problems throughout his collegiate and professional career, and Rivera believes Benjamin’s previous hamstring issues can be at least partially attributed to his poor conditioning and extra pounds.
- The Panthers withdrew an offer to Washington State defensive tackle Robert Barber, an undrafted free agent, after learning that he’s facing a trial on second-degree felony assault charges, reports Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer. Barber accepted Carolina’s offer Saturday, but the team pulled it off the table Sunday.
Bills To Interview Panthers Exec Brandon Beane
The Bills’ general manager search is underway. Buffalo has asked permission to speak with Panthers assistant GM Brandon Beane about their GM vacancy, a league source tells ESPN.com’s Wendi Nix (Twitter link).
Soon after the Bills fired Doug Whaley, Beane’s name emerged as a potential candidate for the gig. The exec has a shared history with new Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott and while the Panthers will try to keep him, they cannot prevent him from accepting a GM position elsewhere if it includes final say over the 53-man roster. It remains to be seen whether McDermott, who reportedly had control over the Bills’ draft last week, would be willing to cede that control.
The name of Chiefs executive Brett Veach is also circulating in personnel circles as a candidate for the Bills’ GM job, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports hears (on Twitter).
Bills Fire GM Doug Whaley, Entire Scouting Staff
Less than 24 hours after the 2017 draft wrapped up, the Bills announced that they have fired GM Doug Whaley. The move does not come as a major surprise, as we heard earlier this week that major changes could be coming to the Buffalo front office, and it was clear that Whaley was losing clout to new head coach Sean McDermott. Indeed, the Bills hadn’t allowed Whaley to speak to reporters since the Senior Bowl in January, and that did not change during the draft. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets, McDermott “had taken over this team in every way. [Whaley] had been phased out, well before today. Now it’s just official.”
Whaley, who became the team’s GM prior to the 2013 season, did not have much success in that position, as the Bills’ best record during his tenure was 9-7, and they did not qualify for the playoffs in any of his four seasons at the helm. He also made several notable missteps, like the aggressive draft trade for Sammy Watkins and the ill-advised extension for Marcell Dareus, and he failed to identify a franchise quarterback. Nonetheless, Whaley was given the rare opportunity to hire his third different head coach after Rex Ryan was let go towards the end of the 2016 campaign (Whaley also had a hand in hiring Ryan’s predecessor, Doug Marrone). Team owner Terry Pegula also insisted several times over the course of the past several months that Whaley’s position was secure, which Mike Rodak of ESPN.com called an “awkward charade” that the Bills would have been better off avoiding.
Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com, though, feels differently. He believes, since the Bills clearly felt comfortable with McDermott running the show, it made sense for them to keep the spotlight off their rookie head coach during the draft and to bring in a new GM now to help clean up Whaley’s (and Ryan’s) messes and handle post-draft matters (Twitter links).
As Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports tweets, multiple members of the Panthers’ front office could become candidates for the Bills’ GM position due to their connections with McDermott, including Carolina’s assistant GM, Brandon Beane. Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer expects McDermott to push for Beane, and while the Panthers will try to keep him, they cannot block him from accepting a GM job elsewhere (Twitter link).
Another potential candidate to replace Whaley is Chiefs’ co-director of player personnel Brett Veach, as suggested by former NFL exec Joe Banner (via Twitter). Veach worked with McDermott when both men were in Philadelphia and is highly-regarded in Kansas City.
Pegula issued the following statement on Whaley’s dismissal:
“After a thorough review of our football operations over the past several months, Kim [Pegula] and I informed Doug this morning that we will be moving in a new direction. We have enjoyed working with Doug. He is a good person and we want to thank him for his work and commitment to our football team. This was my decision. It was not an easy decision but I believe it’s the right one for the future of the Buffalo Bills. Our search for a new general manager will begin immediately.”
In addition to Whaley, the Bills also dismissed their entire scouting staff, as Rodak reports.
Panthers Acquire 77th Pick From Cardinals
The Panthers have acquired the 77th pick from the Cardinals in exchange for Nos. 98 and 115, tweets Arizona’s vice president of media relations, Mark Dalton.
Carolina has selected Texas A&M defensive lineman Daeshon Hall, who saw significant playing time in each of his four seasons with the Aggies. The 260-pounder was particularly effective over the previous two years, combining for 27.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in 25 games.
Hall, who played second fiddle to No. 1 overall pick Myles Garrett in college, will inject some youth into a Panthers defensive line that features accomplished pass rushers in Julius Peppers, Mario Addison and Charles Johnson. All three are over the age of 30.