Panthers To Work Out Will Beatty
10:13am: Beatty is also on the Cardinals’ radar, Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910 (on Twitter) hears.
9:22am: Will Beatty will work out for the Panthers today, according to a source who spoke with Newsday’s Tom Rock. Beatty already has an offer from the Jaguars in hand, but he is apparently checking out other options first. 
The Jaguars recently worked out Beatty and the Eagles are also said to have him on their radar as they brace for Lane Johnson‘s ten-game suspension. Still, Rock hears that a reunion with the Giants remains unlikely.
Beatty, 31, is hoping to sign with a team that will give him a starting job, the source said. The Panthers have Michael Oher to start at left tackle, but the team may not be inspired by Daryl Williams and Mike Remmers on the right side. Williams hasn’t pushed Remmers like they hoped he would and Beatty could be a more attractive option.
The veteran missed the entire 2015 campaign after tearing his pectoral, and was released by New York following the season. Still, Beatty missed only one game in the three seasons prior to 2015 and he is said to be fully healthy. PFR ranked Beatty as one of the best offensive free agents still on the board earlier this year. Since that time, five of the six players listed ahead of Beatty have found new deals.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Panthers Sign Kasey Redfern
- The Panthers announced that they’ve swapped out punters, signing Kasey Redfern while waiving Swayze Waters.
Panthers ST Coach Bruce DeHaven Taking Leave Of Absence
- Panthers special teams coach Bruce DeHaven is taking a leave of absence to resume cancer treatments, writes Joseph Person of The Charlotte Observer. The coordinator title has been handed to assistant Thomas McGaughey, and former NFL linebacker Chase Blackburn will slide into the assistant role. DeHaven, who has been coaching for 46 years, is hoping to return for the team’s Week 2 game against the 49ers. In the meantime, he’ll serve as the Panthers’ senior special teams advisor.
[SOURCE LINK]
Talks Between Panthers, K. Short Break Down
Any hope the Panthers had of signing defensive tackle Kawann Short to a contract extension extension before the season is all but gone, reports Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. The two sides were negotiating a new deal for Short, which general manager Dave Gettleman acknowledged two weeks ago, but those talks haven’t led anywhere and are “effectively dead,” tweets La Canfora.
The 27-year-old Short broke out last season, his third in the NFL, in leading the NFC champions’ top-tier defense in sacks (11) and forced fumbles (three). Short, who experienced his first 16-start campaign, also graded eighth in overall performance among Pro Football Focus’ 123 qualified interior defensive linemen (subscription required).
PFF’s 10th-ranked interior D-lineman, the Eagles’ Fletcher Cox, landed a six-year, $103MM extension featuring upward of $55MM in guarantees in June. A month later, the Jets’ Muhammad Wilkerson – No. 11 on the list – secured a five-year, $86MM pact with $53.5MM guaranteed for injury. Short is likely looking for money in a similar neighborhood to those two, and the 6-foot-3, 299-pounder made his dissatisfaction with his contract situation known when he skipped organized team activities in June. However, Short has attended the club’s functions since then and now looks primed to play 2016 for a relative pittance (just over $1MM).
If the Panthers want to retain Short after the season but aren’t able reach a deal with him before free agency opens, the franchise tag would be a likely option. The current cost to tag D-tackles is $13.651MM, and as of late July, Gettleman was reportedly willing to sign Short to an accord worth around $15MM per year.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Panthers Cut Roderick Byers
- The Panthers cut Roderick Byers, a UDFA guard from Clemson, with a failure to disclose physical condition designation, Wilson tweets.
Panthers Cut Alecxih, Palmer; Add Palmer
- The Panthers waived/injured defensive tackle Chas Alecxih and running back Tobais Palmer, according to Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). In a related move, the team has signed former Mount Union defensive tackle Tom Lally.
Punter Mike Scifres Struggling?
- Locked in a battle with rookie Swayze Waters, veteran punter Mike Scifres has not had a productive camp with the Panthers, writes King in the same piece. Scifres signed a minimum salary benefit contract with no guaranteed money, so Carolina could easily move on if they so choose. Head coach Ron Rivera didn’t dismiss the possibility of signing another punter, according to King.
Panthers Had Interest In Cole Wick
- Lions tight end Cole Wick says that the Raiders, Eagles, Panthers, Buccaneers, and few other teams also showed interest in him as a UDFA, Rogers tweets. Wick signed on with the Lions in May and received a $10K bonus. He may have to play a larger-than-expected role if Ebron has to miss time. For a complete look at the Lions’ tight end depth chart, head on over to Roster Resource.
Panthers Working Out Defensive Linemen
4:17pm: The Panthers worked out former Georgia defensive linemen James DeLoach and Ray Drew today, a source tells Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer (on Twitter). However, the team is not expected to sign either player at this point.
11:26am: The Panthers are looking at defensive ends and defensive tackles in the wake of two injuries to their defensive line unit, Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer tweets. Panthers defensive tackle Chas Alecxih was carted off after hurting his left knee during a blocking drill on Sunday and its feared that the injury is season-ending. Meanwhile, defensive end Rakim Cox is being evaluated for a back injury. 
Alecxih, 27, spent last season on the Panthers’ taxi squad. Encouraged by his work in practice, the Panthers inked the defensive tackle to a futures contract in February. Alexcih was hoping to crack the 53-man roster this year, but it now seems that he won’t get the opportunity. Cox, a Villanova product, hooked on with the Panthers after impressing in the veteran combine of 2015. Like Alexhih, Cox also spent the 2015 season on the taxi squad and signed a futures deal in the winter.
Any defensive tackle that joins the Panthers may face an uphill battle for making the team Paul Soliai and Kyle Love are already battling over the team’s fourth (and likely final) defensive tackle spot. Kawann Short, Star Lotulelei, and first-round pick Vernon Butler are guaranteed places on the roster, leaving Soliai and Love to compete for the last opening. The Panthers handed Soliai $3MM fully guaranteed less than five months ago, so it would be a surprise to see him get cut loose.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Paul Soliai, Kyle Love Competing For One Spot?
- The Panthers have a plethora of options at defensive tackle, and they’re so stacked at the position that they might be forced to release a talented player, as Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer writes. Kawann Short (who is engaged in extension talks), Star Lotulelei, and first-round pick Vernon Butler are guaranteed places on the roster, meaning Paul Soliai and Kyle Love will have to compete for the final tackle spot, unless Carolina opts to keep five interior defenders. The Panthers handed Soliai $3MM fully guaranteed less than five months ago, so it would be a surprise to see him get cut loose.