Panthers Sign Robert McClain; Benwikere To IR
The Panthers have begun to address their depth issues in the secondary, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed free agent cornerback Robert McClain. In a corresponding roster move, the club placed corner Bene Benwikere on the injured reserve list due to a broken leg.
Five years ago, McClain began his career with the Panthers after being selected in the seventh round of the 2010 draft by the team, so it’s a homecoming of sorts for the 27-year-old. McClain last played for the Falcons, starting 15 of 47 games for Atlanta from the 2012 to 2014 seasons. A year ago, he compiled 59 tackles to go along with two interceptions and a sack.
While McClain will provide some veteran depth in the Panthers’ defensive backfield, another move may be coming later this week for Carolina. Bill Voth of Black and Blue Review hears from multiple sources that cornerback Charles Tillman has been dealing with a partially torn ACL, adding that an IR stint seems likely for the veteran.
Voth and Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer both indicate that the team is expected to promote cornerback Lou Young from the practice squad to take Tillman’s place on the roster, assuming the veteran’s knee doesn’t show signs of improvement this week.
NFC South Notes: D. Allen, Falcons, Martin
As Christopher Dabe of NOLA.com details, new Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen received plenty of praise from head coach Sean Payton this week after the team’s win over the Buccaneers, in which New Orleans held Tampa Bay to just 17 points.
Since Payton’s future remains uncertain, it’s hard to say for sure that Allen’s job as Saints DC is safe next season — a new head coach may want to bring his own assistants. Still, if Allen finishes the season strong after taking over the NFL’s worst defense, he shouldn’t have any trouble finding work for 2016.
Here’s more from around the NFC South:
- With the Falcons in the midst of a six-game losing streak, it’s looking more and more like owner Arthur Blank will make changes to the front office in the offseason, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. According to La Canfora, there have been rumblings since before training camp that Seahawks executive Trent Kirchner could end up in Atlanta, working with ex-Seahawk Dan Quinn, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Kirchner replaces Thomas Dimitroff as the Falcons’ general manager.
- Buccaneers running back Doug Martin only got 11 carries on Sunday against the Saints’ league-worst rushing defense, despite racking up 81 yards on those 11 attempts. While the Bucs’ usage of Martin was questionable, the conspiracy theory that the team is trying to limit his yardage totals to make him easier to re-sign doesn’t make sense, as Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times writes.
- Rookie Panthers linebacker David Mayo will miss at least the next two weeks with a hamstring issue, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Mayo hasn’t played much for Carolina this season, so we’ll see if the club decides to place him on injured reserve or keep him on its roster for the playoffs.
NFC Notes: Bradford, Lynch, Panthers, Cooley
Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford is a few months from free agency and could be in another uniform next season. If you’re to believe head coach Chip Kelly, he hopes the sixth-year man is under center again for Philadelphia in 2016.
“We’ve always wanted Sam here. We wouldn’t have traded for him if we thought he was (only) going to be here for a year,” Kelly said, per Les Bowen of Philly.com.
Kelly sent former Eagles starting QB Nick Foles and a second-round pick to St. Louis last offseason for Bradford, whose performance in Philly has been a mixed bag. Bradford’s stats aren’t great – 6.71 YPA, 14 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 82.9 rating in 11 games – but the Eagles have won the last three games the 28-year-old has both started and finished, and Kelly likes the former Heisman winner’s progression.
“I just see improvement from Sam on a weekly basis that gets you excited about him. I thought he threw the ball extremely well (Sunday),” said Kelly, whose Bradford-led Eagles knocked off Buffalo, 23-20, and are atop the NFC East at 6-7.
More from the NFC:
- With Thomas Rawls‘ season over, the Seahawks could certainly use a return from injured rusher Marshawn Lynch to upgrade a backfield that no longer looks like a strength. There’s no timetable for that, though, says head coach Pete Carroll (link via ESPN’s Sheil Kapadia). Lynch, out of the Seahawks’ lineup for a month, underwent abdominal surgery a couple weeks ago. The five-time Pro Bowler is rehabbing away from the team, which Carroll believes is “best for” Lynch. Asked if Lynch will be back before the end of the regular season, Carroll said, “I don’t know.”
- Don’t expect the 13-0 Panthers to sign free agent cornerback Cary Williams, according to The Charlotte Observer’s Joe Person, who tweets that the team has kicked the tires on the 30-year-old but doesn’t plan on adding him. Williams signed a deal worth up to $18MM last offseason with Seattle, which released him last week after he totaled 46 tackles and an interception in 10 games.
- Former NFLer Chris Cooley was an accomplished tight end for Washington from 2004-12, catching 429 passes and making a pair of Pro Bowls. Now, with the team dealing with injuries at the position behind starter Jordan Reed, Cooley tweeted Sunday that he’d “love a chance” at a comeback. The 33-year-old spoke about a return in the summer and worked out for the Giants in September. As Peter Hailey of CSNMidAtlantic writes, Washington will probably have to sign somebody to help better its tight end situation. Whether that somebody proves to be Cooley, we’ll see.
Panthers’ Bene Benwikere Fractures Leg
The 13-0 Panthers received some rare bad news amid their best regular season in franchise history. Nickel cornerback Bene Benwikere fractured his leg, Ron Rivera told media, including NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).
A second-year player, Benwikere’s started four straight games for the injured Charles Tillman, who the team hopes will return from a knee injury before the end of the regular season.
Benwikere appears likely to miss the remainder of the Panthers’ season, leaving Teddy Williams and the recently signed Cortland Finnegan to fill in alongside Josh Norman.
Benwikere’s been a key fixture in the Panthers’ secondary since arriving as a fifth-round pick, starting six games for Carolina last season. The 5-foot-11 San Jose State alum hasn’t enjoyed a particularly impressive second season, according to Pro Football Focus. The analytics site rates Benwikere as its No. 76 corner.
Finnegan and Williams, a fifth-year journeyman who has mostly played special teams, represent the Panthers’ only additional corners. With the team in dire need of depth at an already-depleted spot, Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer points out (on Twitter) the Panthers worked out Robert McClain and Bradley Fletcher before they signed Finnegan on Nov. 30.
Jared Allen: “I’m Not Going To Play For Another Team”
After coming over from the Bears in an early-season trade, veteran defensive end Jared Allen has been enjoying the ride with the undefeated Panthers, so much so that he apparently wants to finish his career with the team. Retirement is one option this offseason for Allen, who may have to undergo back surgery, but if he continues to play, he wants that to happen in Carolina, as Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer writes.
“I’m not going to play for another team,” Allen said. “I take every year for what it is. I make assessments after the year on how my body feels. It’s going to be a tough offseason. I’ve got things I’ve got to get fixed. I go through the same process year in and year out. We’ll see what happens at the end of the year.”
Allen, 33, has managed to stay on the field for nearly every game over the last two seasons, even as he battles health issues, but his production has been on the decline. After recording no fewer than 11 sacks in every season from 2007 to 2013, Allen had 5.5 last year for the Bears, and has just two for the Bears and Panthers this year. Pro Football Focus ranks him 85th out of 107 edge defenders in 2015.
The Panthers can live with a part-time role and limited production from Allen this year, since the team is paying him less than $1MM, with the bulk of his 2015 earnings having been paid by Chicago. However, the veteran’s salary jumps to $8.5MM in 2016, the final year of his contract, and Carolina could clear that entire amount from its cap by releasing him. So if Allen is going to return to the Panthers, he’d have to take a pay cut to do so.
NFC South Notes: Ingram, Reed, Allen
It’s a big week in the NFC South, where the Buccaneers will try to continue pushing for a playoff spot against the Saints, while the Falcons will look to hand the Panthers their first loss of the season. Earlier today, we asked you whether Carolina will finish the season with a 16-0 record. Now, we’re checking in on some more NFC South notes. Let’s dive in…
- Saints running back Mark Ingram is battling a serious shoulder injury, according to Rand Getlin of the NFL Network, who tweets that it could be a season-ender. Ingram is undergoing tests to determine the severity of the injury, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com.
- After signing a five-year, $22.5MM contract that featured $9MM in guaranteed money, linebacker Brooks Reed hasn’t been able to make a major impact for the Falcons this season, and he knows it, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. “All I can say is I’m working to be a better football player,” Reed said. “It’s going to take just a lot of hard at work. All I can say is that I’m working at it and it’s going to come. I promise that.”
- Panthers defensive end Jared Allen remains under contract for next season, but he may have to undergo back surgery in the offseason, and says he’s taking every year as it comes, per Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). While Allen may very well continue his playing career in 2016, there’s not much chance he’ll do so on his current deal, which calls for a non-guaranteed $8.5MM salary next year.
Community Tailgate: Will Panthers Go 16-0?
As the NFL regular season nears its home stretch, there are plenty of topics and storylines to discuss, and PFR’s Community Tailgate is designed to address those stories. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. We’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.
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Several weeks ago, when we surveyed PFR readers on whether the Patriots and Panthers could go undefeated, the general consensus was that New England had a better shot than Carolina at finishing 16-0. Since then, however, the Pats’ injury issues have caught up to them, and the club has lost consecutive games against the Broncos and Eagles.
The Panthers, on the other hand, continue to roll, surviving a Week 13 scare in New Orleans to sneak past the Saints and run their record to 12-0. With four weeks left in the season, the Panthers still have to play the Falcons, the Giants, the Falcons again, and the Bucs — Carolina should be favored in all four games, but each of those teams are fighting for a playoff spot in the NFC, so wins won’t come easy.
At the same time, the Panthers figure to face an interesting decision within the next couple weeks — do they go all-out in an effort to stay undefeated, or do they dial it back and rest some key players if and when they clinch a first-round bye and the NFC’s No. 1 seed?
Today’s discussion question is a two-parter, then. Will the Panthers run the table to finish with a 16-0 record? And should that even be a priority for the team? We’ve seen clubs in the past take the pedal off the gas with a week or two left in the season and have that decision backfire in the playoffs, when the long layoff for key players results in some rust in the divisional round. On the other hand, head coach Ron Rivera and his staff would likely get ripped by media and fans alike if Cam Newton were to go down with an injury in Week 16 or 17, after Carolina had already clinched home-field advantage.
So what do you think? Should the Panthers try to go 16-0 even if they’ve clinched a No. 1 seed with a couple weeks remaining? If they do go for it, will the Panthers be able to get by the Falcons, Giants, and Bucs to go undefeated? And either way, what sort of postseason outcome do you see for Carolina? Weigh in below with your thoughts!
Practice Squad Updates: 12/1/15
Today’s practice squad updates from around the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: S D.J. Swearinger (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com)
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: LB A.J. Tarpley (Twitter link via Joe Buscaglia of WKBW)
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: LB Brian Blechen (Twitter link via Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer)
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: OT Pierce Burton (Twitter link via Mike Chappell of CBS4)
- Cut: OT John Wetzel
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: LB Mike Hull and DT Deandre Coleman (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: S John Lowdermilk (Twitter link via Matt Vensel of The Star-Tribune)
- Cut: LB Terrance Plummer
New England Patriots
- Signed: WR Austin Hill (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)
New York Jets
- Signed: LB Julian Stanford (Twitter link)
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: LB Colton Underwood, DB Chris Hackett (Twitter link via Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: RB Rajion Neal (Twitter link)
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: TE Jamie Childers (Twitter link via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com)
- Cut: LB Kevin Snyder
Seattle Seahawks
- Cut: WR Tyler Slavin, DL Julius Warmsley (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
St. Louis Rams
- Signed: TE Justice Cunningham (Twitter link via Howard Balzer of USA Today)
- Cut: LB Matthew Wells
NFC Notes: Cowboys, Seahawks, Panthers
In an appearance today on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he thinks Tony Romo has another four or five years left in him, but stressed the importance of having both a veteran backup and a young quarterback to groom behind Romo (Twitter links via Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram).
Matt Cassel isn’t under contract for the 2016 season at this point, but he looks like a candidate to return as that veteran backup, depending on how he plays down the stretch. It also sounds as if the Cowboys will likely target a QB at some point in the ’16 draft, if the team wants to get that young QB in the mix sooner rather than later.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Having lost Jimmy Graham for the rest of the season, the Seahawks will likely add a tight end to the roster, per head coach Pete Carroll (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times). Seattle doesn’t currently have a tight end on its practice squad, but could target a player who has been with the team somewhat recently, like Rashaun Allen or Anthony McCoy.
- The Panthers‘ signing of cornerback Cortland Finnegan on Monday was motivated by growing concern about the lack of progress Charles Tillman has made in recovering from his knee injury, a source tells Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula and defensive coordinator Sean McDermott figure to be head coaching candidates for other NFL teams at season’s end, but both assistants say they aren’t thinking about that possibility for now, writes Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
- Eagles head coach Chip Kelly may be irked by the college speculation and rumors that have followed him around, but skepticism for his denials is warranted, says Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- Speaking to reporters on Monday, Rams head coach Jeff Fisher said wide receiver Stedman Bailey – who underwent surgery after being shot in the head – continues to improve, as Joe Lyons of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch details. “He’s still in intensive care recovering,” Fisher said.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/30/15
Here are Monday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL:
- The Seahawks promoted defensive tackle A.J. Francis from the practice squad, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
- The Patriots have released wide receiver Chris Harper following Sunday night’s muffed punt, as Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com tweets.
- The Cowboys waived running back Trey Williams, as Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Giants are signing guard Adam Gettis off of the Raiders‘ practice squad, a person with knowledge of the situation told Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger. The Giants are short on offensive lineman, so Gettis will help provide the Giants with some much-needed depth.
Earlier updates:
- In advance of Monday night’s game against the Browns, the Ravens have promoted guard Kaleb Johnson and wide receiver Daniel Brown from their practice squad, the team announced today in a press release. To make room, Baltimore cut wide receiver Chuck Jacobs and placed tight end Chase Ford on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. Johnson, in particular, could play a role tonight, since the club doesn’t have many healthy offensive linemen left on the roster.
- The Bills are releasing linebacker A.J. Tarpley, according to Sal Capaccio of WGR550 (Twitter link). Tarpley, who recorded his first career NFL sack on Sunday, looks like a candidate to join the team’s practice squad if he clears waivers. Per Joe Buscaglia of WKBW (Twitter link), Buffalo also placed defensive end Alex Carrington on injured reserve, officially ending his season after he tore his quad tendon.
- The Eagles have signed interior offensive lineman Barrett Jones off the Bears‘ practice squad, waiving offensive lineman Julian Vandervelde in the corresponding move (Twitter link). Given the history between the Eagles and Vandervelde, who has now been cut four times by the club since the start of September, it may just be a matter of time until he finds himself back with Philadelphia.
- The Buccaneers have signed linebacker Adarius Glanton from the Panthers‘ practice squad, waiving safety Kimario McFadden, according to a press release from the team. With Kwon Alexander facing a four-game suspension and Bruce Carter having left Sunday’s game to be evaluated for a concussion, linebacker depth was a priority for Tampa Bay.
- The Bengals waived linebacker Sean Porter from the physically unable to perform list today, tweets Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. Porter returned to practice for Cincinnati earlier this month, but the team apparently determined there was no place for him on the 53-man roster.