Panthers Waive Wes Horton
The Panthers have waived defensive end Wes Horton, the team announced on Twitter. Offensive tackle David Foucault has been promoted from the practice squad to take the open roster spot.
Horton, an undrafted rookie in 2013, made 15 starts for the Panthers last season in place of suspended teammate Greg Hardy. Following a rookie campaign that saw him compile eight tackles and two sacks, the former USC standout finished 2014 with 26 tackles and three sacks.
The 25-year-old hasn’t seen much of the field in 2015, as ProFootballFocus.com (subscription required) has him down for 58 snaps. However, the site does rate him positively for his run defense, the first time he’s received an above-average grade in his career.
Foucault was a first-round pick in the 2014 CFL draft, but he ultimately joined the Panthers during last season’s rookie camp. The 26-year-old made five appearances in 2014, including one start. With Amini Silatolu expected to sit out this weekend’s game, the team needed reinforcement at offensive tackle.
NFC South Notes: Shanahan, Norman, Saints
Here’s a look at the NFC South..
- Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan should be near the top of any watch list for head coaching vacancies at the end of this season, Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports writes. Shanahan’s creativity has the Atlanta offense clicking and that’s with a undermanned offensive line. The Falcons are only three games in, but Matt Ryan’s 98.6 passer rating would be his highest since the Falcons’ last playoff season in 2012.
- Panthers cornerback Josh Norman spent the offseason telling people that he’s one of the elite cover men in the NFL. Now, he’s backing up those claims in his contract year, Steve Reed of The Associated Press writes. The former fifth-round pick has 15 tackles, five pass breakups, and two interceptions. One of those picks he returned for a momentum-turning touchdown in Week 1 against the Jaguars and another last Sunday that helped seal Carolina’s 27-22 win over the Saints. He’s also forced and recovered a fumble.
- The Akiem Hicks trade marks a failure for the Saints, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com opines. Hicks, he writes, has rare physical talents and with enough patience from the organization, the defensive end could have blossomed into a contributor for New Orleans. Hicks hasn’t done much over the last two weeks or even the last two years, but Triplett is disappointed that a player who once had tremendous potential to become a core player has now been traded away for a reserve tight end.
Workout Notes: 9/30/15
Today’s workouts from around the NFL..
- The Cardinals tried out offensive tackle Xavier Proctor and defensive back Tyrequek Zimmerman, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
- The Panthers tried out long snappers Danny Aiken and Patrick Scales, Wilson tweets.
- The Lions tried out defensive end Jonathan Massaquoi, Wilson tweets.
- The Colts tried out defensive backs Kevin White, Trovon Reed, Ri’Shard Anderson, and Tay Glover-Wright prior to signing Shaun Prater, Wilson tweets. Linebackers Jayson DiManche and Julian Stanford also worked out for Indy. The Colts also tried out defensive tackle Eric Crume and offensive tackle Aundrey Walker (link).
- The Vikings tried out Tevin Westbrook before he landed on the Buccaneers’ taxi squad, Wilson tweets.
- The Giants tried out long snappers Luke Ingram and Tyler Ott, Wilson tweets.
- The Jets tried out linebackers Jeff Luc and Quayshawn Nealy and running back Joe Banyard, tweets Wilson.
- The Seahawks tried out quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson and wide receiver L’Damian Washington, tweets Wilson.
- The Buccaneers tried out tackle Sean Hickey, Wilson tweets.
- The Chargers tried out tight end Cameron Clear, defensive end Xzavier Dickson, Tevin Westbrook (prior to his signing with the Bucs’ practice squad), tight end Brian Vogler, and offensive tackle Byron Stingily, according to Wilson (Twitter link).
Panthers Cut Colin Cole, Sign Ryan Delaire
The Panthers continue to make changes on their defensive line, adding another pass rusher and dropping a veteran defensive tackle to do so. According to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter), Carolina has signed defensive end Ryan Delaire from Washington’s practice squad, releasing Colin Cole to create room on the 53-man roster.
Delaire initially signed with the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent out of Towson this spring, and the $15K signing bonus he received from Tampa Bay was one of the largest for any UDFA. However, he didn’t earn a spot on the club’s regular season roster, and landed on Washington’s taxi squad shortly after being cut by the Bucs. He’ll join a Panthers squad that will be without top pass rusher Charles Johnson for at least the next eight weeks, as he recovers from a hamstring injury.
Cole, meanwhile, has been a key player for the Panthers since 2013, starting 26 of the 31 regular season games he played for the team during his first two seasons with the team. He has seen his part-time role reduced even further early in 2015 though, with Kawann Short, Dwan Edwards, and Kyle Love seeing most of the playing time at defensive tackle. Cole played just 49 defensive snaps during the first three weeks.
As David Newton of ESPN.com points out, the Panthers’ decision to release Cole “speaks volumes” about how the team feels about Love, as well as highlighting Carolina’s need at defensive end. Delaire is the second defensive end added to the roster this week, joining Jared Allen, who was acquired in a trade with the Bears.
Cole will immediately become a free agent without having to pass through waivers, so he’ll be free to join any team. His one-year, minimum salary benefit contract with Carolina included a modest $80K signing bonus, so the Panthers won’t carry much dead money on their cap after parting ways with him.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/29/15
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL, with any additional moves added to the list throughout the day:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: S Marcus Ball (Twitter link)
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DE Lavar Edwards (Twitter link via Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com)
- Cut: OL Ronald Patrick
Denver Broncos
- To be signed: T Antonio Johnson (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
- Cut: OLB Danny Mason (via Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post)
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: QB Alex Tanney (press release)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: WR Shaq Evans (Twitter link via Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union)
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: WR Marcus Lucas (Twitter link via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
- Cut: LB Terrell Manning (Twitter link via Jayson Braddock)
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: WR Donte Foster (Twitter link)
- Cut: FB Blake Renaud
New York Giants
- Signed: WR Tavarres King (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News)
- Cut: OL Vinston Painter (Twitter link via Wilson)
New York Jets
- Signed: S Ronald Martin (Twitter link via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com)
- Cut: CB Keon Lyn
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: C B.J. Finney (Twitter link via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
- Cut: C Barrett Jones
San Diego Chargers
- Signed: G Michael Huey (via Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego)
St. Louis Rams
- Signed: WR Nick Toon (Twitter link via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DT Derrick Lott (press release)
- Cut: CB Imoan Claiborne
Washington:
- Signed: C Austin Reiter (Twitter link via Zac Boyer of the Washington Times)
Workout Notes: Jets, Brown, Chargers, Lions
The Jets auditioned running back Bryce Brown on Tuesday, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Brown has showed flashes of promise in the past, but he was unable to stick with the Bills in 2015. The Bills traded a 2015 fourth-round pick to the Eagles to acquire Brown before the start of last season and that’s a deal that GM Doug Whaley probably wouldn’t make again. In 2014, Brown ran for a grand total of 126 yards off of 36 carries.
Here’s a rundown of other notable workouts from around the NFL..
- As we noted earlier today, the Patriots worked out former Broncos running back Montee Ball and the Steelers took a look at Terrelle Pryor.
- Former Jets defensive lineman Jordan Williams worked out for the Lions today, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
- Former Browns outside linebacker Mike Reilly worked out for the Chargers on Tuesday, a league source tells Wilson (on Twitter).
- With defensive tackle Will Sutton’s expected to miss a short period of time following a left biceps injury, the Bears brought in four linemen for a tryout on Tuesday, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes. According to an NFL source, veterans DeAngelo Tyson, Cliff Matthews, D’Anthony Smith, and Greg Scruggs were worked out. The Bears also put running back George Atkinson III, a former Notre Dame player, through a workout.
- The Jets worked out former Giants fullback Henry Hynoski today, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (via Twitter).
- In addition to Ball, the Patriots auditioned tight end Brandon Bostick, quarterback Zac Dysert, tight end Brian Leonhardt, former Panthers running back Darrin Reaves, and tight end Konrad Reuland, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets.
- Defensive end/outside linebacker Lawrence Sidbury auditioned for the Lions on Tuesday, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- The Rams have auditioned a ton of wide receivers lately, as Wilson tweets. Issac Blakeney, Kain Colter, DaVaris Daniels, Jordan Leslie, Tyler Rutenbeck, and Corey Washington were among the wide receivers to audition for St. Louis. Nick Toon, who was also a part of those tryouts, inked a practice squad deal with St. Louis this week.
- The Panthers auditioned three punters on Tuesday, including ex-Bears punter Adam Podlesh, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). Spencer Lanning and Kasey Redfern also auditioned, Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer tweets.
- The Chargers auditioned center J.D. Walton and guard Joe Looney, according to Howard Balzer of USA Today Sports (on Twitter).
Panthers Place Charles Johnson On IR-DTR
Earlier today, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer reported (via Twitter) that the Panthers weren’t considering placing defensive end Charles Johnson on their injured reserve list with the designation to return, but it appears the team reconsidered that stance today. Johnson has announced (via Instagram) that the team has used its IR-DTR slot on him, sidelining him for at least eight weeks due to his hamstring injury.
Johnson, 29, has been the Panthers’ most reliable pass rusher over the last several years, recording at least 8.5 sacks in each of his last five seasons. However, after Greg Hardy was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list in 2014 and then departed in free agency earlier in 2015, Johnson hasn’t had much help getting to the quarterback in Carolina. He had one sack in three games this season before sustaining his hamstring injury.
In Johnson’s absence, Jared Allen, acquired in a trade with the Bears, will slot into the vacated defensive end position, and the Panthers will count on the veteran pass rusher to help the unit get after quarterbacks over the next eight weeks.
While Johnson’s cap number for 2015 is $20.02MM, the highest in the NFL for a defensive player, Allen will cost the Panthers less than $1MM, since the Bears paid the majority of his 2015 earnings earlier this year, giving him an $11.5MM roster bonus.
Half of the NFL’s 32 teams have now used their IR-DTR slot. Here’s the complete list.
NFC Notes: Panthers, Brooks, Parkey
Although defensive end Charles Johnson is expected to miss multiple games due to a hamstring injury, the Panthers aren’t considering placing him on the injured reserve list with the designation to return, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Carolina acquired Jared Allen this week to help boost the pass rush in Johnson’s absence, and according to agent Ken Harris, the Panthers were one of five teams that he and his client identified as potential landing spots (link via David Newton of ESPN.com). Carolina was “by far” their No. 1 choice, per Harris.
Let’s round up several more items from across the NFC….
- 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks wasn’t present in court today, but his lawyer put in a plea of “not guilty” for his client on a misdemeanor sexual battery charge, reports Damian Trujillo of NBC Bay Area (Twitter link). Brooks seems likely to face discipline from the NFL sometime after the legal process plays out.
- Cody Parkey‘s groin injury is more serious than it initially sounded, with the Eagles kicker telling reporters today that he tore three muscles in his groin. While he landed on the IR today, Parkey fully expects to be kicking again for the Eagles again in 2016 (Twitter links via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer).
- The Bears may not be done making trades this season, but the Cowboys haven’t discussed the possibility of acquiring a player like Matt Forte or Alshon Jeffery, says Ed Werder of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- No outside free agent got a larger contract from the Saints than the $16MM deal C.J. Spiller signed this offseason, and head coach Sean Payton admits that he needs to get the running back more involved in the offense, according to Christopher Dabe of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
- Packers wide receiver Davante Adams, who was taken out of Monday night’s game against the Chiefs, re-aggravated his high ankle sprain, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Adams is expected to miss some time, though it’s too early for an exact timetable. As for tight end Andrew Quarless, he has a sprained MCL, and is expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks, per Rapoport (Twitter link).
Some NFL Owners Oppose Rams Moving To L.A.
A group of influential owners strongly opposes the relocation of the Rams to Los Angeles, multiple sources tell Mike Florio of PFT. That group apparently includes Panthers owner Jerry Richardson, who is emerging as one of the more outspoken members of the league’s L.A. committee. One source indicated that these owners view the Chargers and Raiders as more eligible to move under the league’s relocation policy, especially since it appears that St. Louis has a quality stadium proposal on the table.
Right now, it’s hard to say whether the Chargers and Raiders have the upper hand over the Rams. At this time, it appears that the Chargers definitely have the votes to block the Rams and that the Rams probably have the votes to block the Chargers.
Here’s more on the L.A. situation..
- If only one team goes to L.A., it could be the Chargers, Florio writes. One league source says that the thinking is that moving the Bolts would make the most sense, because it would preserve much of the San Diego fan base while expanding the team’s existing fan base in L.A.
- Neither L.A. proposal has enough league votes to make the move, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com writes. At least 24 of the league’s 32 teams must vote in favor of a franchise in order for the transaction to be authorized and things are very fractured at this time.
- Nick Canepa of the San Diego Union-Tribune doesn’t believe that the Chargers will be willing to share a stadium with the Rams. If the Rams relocate to L.A., he believes that the most likely scenario will be Rams owner Stan Kroenke paying off the Chargers and Raiders as a consolation prize.
Panthers To Acquire Jared Allen From Bears
5:16pm: The sixth-round pick going from the Panthers to the Bears will be conditional, according to ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen (on Twitter).
3:55pm: The Bears are getting a sixth-round pick from the Panthers, tweets Glazer. As noted below, Brad Biggs initially reported that the pick is expected to be a conditional one, so there may be conditions tied to Allen’s playing time and/or production in Carolina — for now though, it sounds like it’s just a sixth-rounder.
3:31pm: In a surprising move, the Panthers and Bears have agreed to a trade involving veteran pass rusher Jared Allen, who will head to Carolina in the deal, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets that the Bears are expected to receive a conditional draft pick in exchange for Allen.
With their top pass rusher Charles Johnson sidelined due to a hamstring injury, the Panthers had been seeking defensive line help, and head coach Ron Rivera suggested earlier today that the team would consider bringing in outside help. Of course, at the time, I would’ve guessed Rivera meant bringing in a few free agents for auditions, rather than acquiring one of the more dominant pass rushers of the last decade.
Allen, who was in his second year with the Bears, recorded double-digit sacks for seven consecutive seasons prior to signing with Chicago, and never had fewer than 7.5 sacks in a season during his NFL career prior to 2014, when he recorded just 5.5. Allen still played well for the Bears, but once the team brought in new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and his 3-4 scheme, the 33-year-old was no longer a real fit for Chicago. In three games with the Bears this season, Allen held his own against the run and grabbed an interception, but had yet to pick up a sack.
In Carolina, Allen will get a chance to play defensive end in a 4-3 system once again, and that’s the situation in which he had all of his most productive years. Of course, Allen is no longer the All-Pro player he was in Kansas City and Minnesota, but he can still be an effective pass rusher, and he should help a Panthers team that has missed Greg Hardy over the last year and will be without Johnson in the short term.
The four-year, $32MM deal Allen signed in 2014 looked questionable at the time, and looks even worse now, as the Bears paid nearly $15MM for a little over a season from the veteran defensive end, who was signed by former GM Phil Emery. The fact that this year’s Bears were willing to move on from Allen so quickly suggests that, at 0-3 and with quarterback Jay Cutler injured, the team may already be looking ahead to 2016.
Since Chicago paid Allen an $11.5MM roster bonus earlier this year, the deal works out well for the Panthers from a financial standpoint. Carolina will take on the remainder of Allen’s $1MM salary for 2015, along with base salaries of $8.5MM for 2016 and $8MM for 2017. While this year’s salary is guaranteed, the ’16 and ’17 figures aren’t, so if things don’t go well this year for Allen and the Panthers this year, the team can cut ties with him in the winter.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link), the Bears were having trade talks involving Allen for at least a couple weeks, and other teams knew he was available, so it’ll be interesting to see what sort of pick the Panthers had to give up to land him — especially since his salary for his new team is quite modest.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.