Panthers Place CB Teddy Williams On IR
The Panthers announced that cornerback Teddy Williams has been placed on injured reserve. In a related move, fellow corner Leonard Johnson has been officially activated from the reserve/non-football injury list. 
The specifics of Williams’ injury are not yet known, but we do know that he left practice with a trainer on Thursday after hurting his left knee. Williams spent last season with the Jaguars and even though he was a restricted free agent, the team declined to extend him a tender. This offseason, Carolina scooped him up on a two-year deal worth up to $2.3MM. Williams ends his season after appearing in three games for the Panthers this year. His highlight came a couple of weeks ago against the Saints when he logged his first career interception.
Johnson, meanwhile, has been working his way back from Achilles surgery.
“I think Leonard can bring a little energy to what we’re trying to do,” Rivera said in a press release. “He’s a guy that excels at playing the nickel position. That’s why we brought him here. It was just a matter of time before we had a chance to see who he is on the football field. We as coaches like what we saw. We were willing to take the chance on having this guy around on (NFI), and hopefully he can develop, as he gets more and more opportunities in our scheme.”
Johnson played in four games with three starts at nickel back for the New England in 2015.
Panthers Work Out 14 Players
- The Panthers worked out 14 free agents Wednesday, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk was among those to report. Tight ends Alex Bayer, Kivon Cartwright, Jim Dray and Eric Wallace; defensive backs Tay Glover-Wright, Demetrius McCray, Jeremiah McKinnon and Shaun Prater; running back Darrel Young; quarterbacks Dylan Thompson and Sean Renfree; receivers Jeremy Ross and T.J. Graham; and defensive end Malliciah Goodman each tried to impress Carolina brass. The most experienced members of the group are Dray (91 appearances, 37 starts), Young (90, 36), Graham (47, 17), McCray (46, 16) and Goodman (34, 11).
Colts Claim Lavar Edwards, Cut Darryl Morris
The Colts have claimed outside linebacker Lavar Edwards off waivers from the Panthers and cut cornerback Darryl Morris, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
Edwards, whom the Panthers waived Tuesday, will now join his eighth organization since entering the NFL as a fifth-round pick of the Titans in 2013. The 26-year-old has only seen regular-season action with half of those teams, and he has just 17 appearances and one start to his name. Edwards suited up for five of the Panthers’ first six games this year before they parted with him. Along the way, he picked up five tackles and the first sack of his career.
Morris, also 26, saw action in the Colts’ first six contests this season and logged one start, though Pro Football Focus ranks his 2016 performance just 93rd among 112 qualifying corners. Prior to signing with the Colts in early September, Morris combined for 36 appearances and a start as a member of the 49ers and Texans from 2013-15. Morris joined the Jets as a free agent in March, but he was unable to survive their final roster cuts.
Panthers Workout Notes: Wallace, McKinnon
- Tight ends Mitchell Henry, Casey Pierce and Eric Wallace tried out for the Buccaneers (Twitter link). Wallace played college basketball at Ohio State and DePaul, and then spent three years playing Australian Rules Football. He was previously with the Panthers, who will work him out Wednesday, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times.
- Defensive back Jeremiah McKinnon worked out for the Panthers on Tuesday, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Panthers Make Two Roster Moves
- The Panthers have re-signed tight end Scott Simonson, as Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer tweets. To make room for him, the Panthers have cut defensive end Lavar Edwards, who recorded one sack this year. As Person notes (Twitter link), that’s more than the combined total that starters Kony Ealy and Charles Johnson (0.5) have between them.
Panthers Sticking With Kicker Graham Gano
The Panthers are standing by kicker Graham Gano even after he missed another critical kick during yesterday’s contest against the Saints, as head coach Ron Rivera told reporters, including Joe Person of Charlotte Observer.
[RELATED: Panthers Re-Sign DE Wes Horton]
“We’re going to stand pat,” Rivera said. “If you go back and you evaluate it as an extra-point kicker, he’s right about 95 percent, which is a little bit more than league average I believe. And then in clutch kicks, again he’s well above the league average.”
Gano missed an extra point on Sunday that would have allowed the Panthers to tie New Orleans late in a game that Carolina ultimately lost, dropping the club to 1-5 on the year. The 29-year old Gano was also wide on a game-winning field goal attempt in Week 1 against the Broncos, and missed another kick in a Week 5 loss to the Buccaneers.
For what it’s worth, Rivera didn’t sound quite so certain earlier in the day, as Bill Voth of Black and Blue Review writes. “Well, we’ll see,” Rivera said about Gano’s status. “You’ve got to look at what’s happened not just now but what’s happened over the period of time. There are some things that we’re going to look at and evaluate (over the bye week), obviously, and we’ll see what happens.”
If Carolina does opt to make a change, veteran kickers such as Robbie Gould, Randy Bullock, Kai Forbath, Garrett Hartley, and Shayne Graham present the best options on the free agent market.
Panther Claim TE Chris Manhertz
- The Panthers have claimed tight end Chris Manhertz off waivers from the Saints, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. A basketball player turned tight end, Manhertz was cut loose by New Orleans late last week to make room for the promotion of a wide receiver. He’ll slot in behind Greg Olsen and Ed Dickson on the Carolina roster. To clear a spot on the 53, the Panthers waived cornerback Lou Young, per Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
Resolution Coming On Newton Concussion Investigation
- The Panthers‘ decision to rescind Josh Norman‘s $13.952MM franchise tender continues to induce young talents to take their lumps, with Drew Brees setting the career 400-plus-yard passing games record against Carolina today. As Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer notes, Dave Gettleman has also yet to say why Bene Benwikere — a 14-game starter for the Panthers over the past three years and their longest-tenured corner coming into the season — was the scapegoat for Matt Ryan‘s 500-plus-yard day. Carolina, which started third- and fifth-round rookies Daryl Worley and Zack Sanchez against the Saints, has upwards of $17MM in cap space. The Panthers hope second-rounder James Bradberry will be back after the team’s Week 8 bye, per Person.
Panthers Cut Scott Simonson
To make room for the promotion of cornerback Lou Young from their practice squad, the Panthers have cut tight end Scott Simonson, according to Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer. The team has also added wide receiver Damiere Byrd to its practice squad as a replacement for Young (Twitter links).
Simonson, 24, joined the Panthers before the 2015 campaign and ultimately appeared in 14 regular-season games (one start) with the club. The blocking specialist tallied only one catch as a Panther after going without a reception with his previous employer, the Raiders, in 2014. Simonson’s exit from Carolina’s roster leaves Ed Dickson as the only backup to No. 1 tight end Greg Olsen.
The Panthers waived Byrd on Thursday, but he’ll now rejoin the organization after going unclaimed. Byrd originally signed with the Panthers last year as an undrafted free agent from South Carolina. He hasn’t yet logged any NFL action.
Panthers Promote CB Lou Young
The Panthers are promoting cornerback Lou Young to the 53-man roster, as David Newton of ESPN.com tweets. Carolina was in need of some CB help as starting cornerbacks Robert McClain and James Bradberry deal with hamstring injuries. 
Young, as Newton writes, could see time at nickel behind Colin Jones and Zack Sanchez. Daryl Worley will start at one cornerback with either Sanchez or Teddy Williams on the other side. Young spent the bulk of the 2015 season on the Panthers’ practice squad before being called up in January. The Georgia Tech product has yet to record an official statistic in the NFL, however.
The Panthers have been having trouble in the secondary this year and the front office showed its frustration by cutting starter Bene Benwikere a couple of weeks ago. So far, the Panthers have been unable to adequately replace the production of former star corner Josh Norman.