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LB Frankie Luvu Eyeing Panthers Extension

November 5th, 2023 at 2:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

Frankie Luvu has established himself as a key member of the Panthers’ defense, showcasing a notable degree of versatility. 2023 marks the end of his current contract, but a new one does not appear to be in the works.

The 27-year-old signed a two-year, $9MM deal in 2022 to keep him in Carolina. That has proven to be a highly effective investment for the Panthers, given Luvu’s increased workload since that time. The team made it clear a diverse role would be in store for him, and a signficant uptick in production has come about as a result.

Luvu eclipsed 100 tackles for the first time in his career last season, and comfortably set a new career high in sacks with seven. The former Jets UDFA has had another strong campaign this year with 51 stops and 3.5 sacks. Luvu is PFF’s highest-rated middle linebacker in terms of pass rush grade, demonstrating his disruptive ability when lined up as an edge rusher. He is thus in line for a signficant raise on his next deal, but, in an interview with Joe Person of The Athletic (subscription required), Luvu indicated no talks on an extension have taken place yet.

The Panthers will need to sort out their situation with sack leader Brian Burns in the coming months. The two-time Pro Bowler is set to see his rookie deal expire this offseason, and Carolina again rebuffed outside interest in a trade this past week. A franchise tag or long-term agreement will eat up much of Carolina’s available funds in 2024; the team is currently projected to sit mid-pack in terms of cap space for next year. A new deal for Luvu will also require a raise, but he is looking to remain in place beyond 2023.

“You know the part about the business,” Luvu told Person. “I might be here, I might be somewhere else. But I would love to be here in Charlotte… I love the environment. I love the culture. I love these coaches. But that’s the hard part about the business. I can’t control where I – if I – become a free agent, then I start having the control. But right now, I’m just gonna be where I’m at today, be where my feet are.”

With pass rushers Yetur Gross-Matos and Justin Houston on IR, Carolina could turn to Luvu on the edge more than as a middle linebacker down the stretch this season. However he is deployed, though, a continuation of his production through the first seven games will set him well in free agency for another Panthers re-up or a deal sending him elsewhere.

Multiple Teams Contacted Panthers About Brian Burns Trade

November 4th, 2023 at 10:16pm CST by Adam La Rose

Two major trades involving edge rushers took place this week, but Brian Burns was not moved. That comes as little surprise given the Panthers’ stance leading up to the deadline, but it was not for a lack of interest shown from numerous suitors.

At least five teams were known to be in on Burns, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The list includes both the Bears and 49ers, the clubs which landed high-profile acquisitions in deals with the Commanders. Chicago added (and has since extended) Montez Sweat, while San Francisco bolstered its already impressive defensive line by bringing in Chase Young. With Burns joining that pair as one of the top prizes available amongst edge rushers, both the Bears and 49ers represent logical suitors for the Panthers to have held talks with on a potential deal.

Interest was also shown by the Jaguars, Falcons and Ravens, Schefter adds. Jacksonville was named as a team to watch on the edge front, with a recent report indicating they nearly finalized an offseason deal for Vikings sack artist Danielle Hunter. Despite leading the league in sacks, Baltimore engaged in trade talks about Young, so it comes as no surprise the team also kicked the tires on a potential Burns swap. Atlanta, meanwhile, made a number of changes on defense this offseason, but added production on the edge would have been welcomed (although an intra-divisional trade involving a player at such a premium position in his prime would have no doubt been difficult to pull off).

Of course, the Panthers are no strangers to receiving strong interest in a Burns acquisition. The Rams submitted an offer including two first-round picks last year, and the Bears attempted to include the two-time Pro Bowler in the trade involving the draft’s No. 1 pick. In both instances, Carolina held firm in its commitment to keeping Burns, something which remained in place this year as well.

The 25-year-old has been highly productive during his time with the Panthers, including five sacks in seven games this season. That has helped his market value on a new contract, something which is not close to being worked out. Burns acknowledged before the deadline that talks on an extension are not ongoing, and it remains to be seen when they will resume. A gap in annual value exists between Burns’ camp and the team on what will, in any event, be a massive raise for the Florida State product .

With the franchise tag (projected to check in at $17.4MM if he is classified as a linebacker, or $20.4MM as a defensive end) looming in case no long-term deal is reached, Burns will be counted on as the anchor of Carolina’s edge rush group to close out the season. That is especially true with Justin Houston joining Yetur Gross-Matos on injured reserve. With Carolina still planning to keep Burns in place for the foreseeable future, it will be interesting to see how his situation unfolds in the coming months.

Panthers Place OLB Justin Houston On IR

November 4th, 2023 at 5:47pm CST by Ely Allen

Carolina is down yet another defensive player this season after announcing the decision to place veteran pass rusher Justin Houston on injured reserve. The loss of another defensive starter just piles on to what is certainly already feeling like a bit of a lost season.

The Panthers got off to an extremely slow start this year, winning only their first game of the season last week. Rookie No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young has piloted a struggling offense that ranks 30th in the league in yardage gained. The offensive struggles also led to head coach Frank Reich ceding play calling duties to rookie offensive coordinator Thomas Brown. Combine all the offensive struggles with a litany of defensive injuries and you arrive where the Panthers are now.

The 34-year-old Houston was brought in to start opposite star pass rusher Brian Burns. So far this year, though, through seven starts, Houston has only managed half a sack, two tackles for loss, and three quarterback hits. He’s far removed from his days of leading the NFL in sacks with 22.0, but even last year in Baltimore, Houston led the team in sacks while flirting with double digits.

Houston joins defensive teammates defensive end Henry Anderson, outside linebackers Yetur Gross-Matos and Marquis Haynes, linebackers Shaq Thompson and Claudin Cherelus, cornerback Jaycee Horn, and safety Jeremy Chinn on IR. That’s not even including the offensive side of the ball, which is currently without left guard Brady Christensen and tight ends Ian Thomas and Giovanni Ricci.

So far, the Panthers have only activated one player (tight end Stephen Sullivan) from IR, so the team still has the ability to activate seven more players from the injured list. Out of the players listed above, Anderson, who was placed on IR before the season started, is the only one who is unable to be activated, but the severity and nature of Thompson and Christensen’s injuries likely suggest that neither will be able to return either.

With Houston out, second-year defender Amare Barno or rookie third-round pick D.J. Johnson will likely be asked to step up into a bigger role. To supplement the position a bit, the Panthers did elect to bring up practice squad outside linebacker Eku Leota as a standard gameday elevation tomorrow.

Additionally, in order to fill Houston’s vacancy on the roster, Carolina signed practice squad safety Matthias Farley to the 53-man roster. Farley, an eight-year veteran, was once a full-season starter in Indianapolis before bouncing around with the Jets, Titans, and Raiders in backup and special teams roles. He’s already started one game this year in which Chinn and Vonn Bell were unable to play, and Bell is listed as doubtful for tomorrow’s matchup against the Colts.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/3/23

November 3rd, 2023 at 8:24pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor transactions from around the league:

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Houston Texans

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Washington Commanders

Anderson, a fifth-round draft pick last year for the Bengals, missed his entire rookie season on injured reserve. After contributing in seven games this year as a core special teamer, Anderson’s sophomore season will also be cut short with head coach Zac Taylor confirming that the young safety tore his ACL, per Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. He played through the initial injury in last week’s win but will be unable to continue the rest of the year.

The Patriots’ Anderson, on the other hand, is a more intriguing situation. After he spent most of the preseason on the non-football illness list with an undisclosed illness, the team is placing Anderson on IR with an “illness” designation. It’s not clear at this time if this is a similar issue to what held him out of the preseason, but illness has surely dealt a significant blow to Anderson’s 2023 season so far.

The Giants got ahead of the waiver rules by releasing Olszewski in a procedural move on Monday before the trade deadline. This allowed them to plainly sign Olszewski back to the active roster on a new deal without him having to clear waivers. As predicted, he returns to the roster for Week 9.

Castro-Fields and Cox will fill the roster spots vacated by the Commanders’ big trades of defensive ends Chase Young to the 49ers and Montez Sweat to the Bears.

Panthers Claim CB David Long

November 3rd, 2023 at 3:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Panthers will take a flier on a cornerback that will bring considerable system familiarity to the team. A day after the Raiders waived David Long, the veteran cover man will land with the Panthers.

Long will have a good knowledge of Ejiro Evero‘s defensive system, with the fifth-year defender having overlapped with the first-year Carolina DC in Los Angeles for three years. Ejiro resided as a Rams assistant during much of Long’s rookie-contract stay with the Rams. New Panthers secondary coach Jonathan Cooley also overlapped with Long in Los Angeles.

Although unable to earn regular playing time with the Raiders, Long should have some allies in Charlotte. Ejiro spent five years on Sean McVay‘s staff and finished out that run as the team’s DBs coach during its Super Bowl-winning 2021 campaign. Evero spent the previous four years as the Rams’ safeties coach. Long started five games, including one playoff contest, during that memorable season. So far in 2023, however, Long has made one start.

The Raiders moved on from 2022 starters Rock Ya-Sin and Anthony Averett this offseason, starting over with a handful of flier-type additions. Long became one of those, signing a one-year, $1.5MM deal that included $625K guaranteed. But the Raiders went with fourth-round rookie Jakorian Bennett over Long as a starter. A former third-round Rams draftee back in 2019, Long played only 24% of the Raiders’ defensive snaps this season. The Raiders have also made significant changes this week, firing Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels. That will likely lead to more personnel adjustments as well.

With the Rams letting Darious Williams walk in free agency in 2022, they looked set to give more playing time to Long and Robert Rochell. But neither could carve out consistent roles as L.A. starters. Long started four games in 2022. The Michigan alum did, however, intercept a Kyler Murray pass and return it three yards for a touchdown in the Rams’ 2021 wild-card romp. Long also started in Super Bowl LVI, playing 82% of the Rams’ defensive snaps in the game.

Carolina dangled veteran Donte Jackson in trades but did not unload anyone at this week’s deadline. The team remains without Jaycee Horn, who is on IR with a significant hamstring injury sustained in Week 1. Jackson, C.J. Henderson and ex-Evero Rams charge Troy Hill are in place as Carolina’s starters for the time being.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/2/23

November 2nd, 2023 at 7:50pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

  • Signed: CB Mark Milton

New Orleans Saints

Cory Littleton could provide a spark to the Saints defense. The linebacker started 37 of his 64 appearances for the Rams between 2016 and 2019, including a 2018 campaign where he earned second-team All-Pro honors after finishing with 125 tackles and four sacks. Following a three-year stint with the Raiders, Littleton spent the 2022 campaign with the Panthers, where he collected 47 tackles in 15 games (seven starts). He’s spent the 2023 season in Houston, where he primarily played on special teams.

2023 NFL Trades

October 31st, 2023 at 10:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 2023 NFL trading period is now over. Dozens of trades — some in the roster-reshaping mold, others executed for depth purposes — ended up coming to pass. Since the NFL moved its trade deadline from Week 6 to Week 8 in 2012, trades have gradually become a more important part of the league’s roster builds.

An argument can be made the NFL should move its deadline deeper into the season, as the MLB, NBA and NHL deadlines come after the midpoint. The NFL moving to a 17-game/18-week slate in 2021, after 43 years at 16 games, also factors into this line of thinking. For now, the league will still force its buyers and sellers to assess their teams fully by Week 8.

To gauge the value of the moves teams have made, here are the trades completed across the league in 2023. (Note: only trades involving veteran players, as opposed to draft-weekend deals only involving picks, are listed here.)

January 31

The Saints chose defensive tackle Bryan Bresee at No. 29 overall

March 9

March 10

  • Bears send Panthers No. 1 overall pick in exchange for No. 9, No. 61, a 2024 first-rounder and 2025 second

The Panthers chose Bryce Young first overall; the Bears traded down from No. 9 to No. 19, drafting tackle Darnell Wright. Trading up from No. 61 to No. 56, Chicago chose cornerback Tyrique Stevenson.

March 12

The Rams selected outside linebacker Byron Young at No. 77 overall

March 13

New England selected defensive back Isaiah Bolden at No. 245

March 14

Houston used the No. 230 pick in a package to trade up for center Juice Scruggs in Round 2; Tampa Bay packaged No. 179 to move up for guard Cody Mauch in Round 2

At No. 100, the Raiders drafted wide receiver Tre Tucker

The Colts selected running back Evan Hull at No. 176

March 20

The Texans used No. 161 to trade up for wide receiver Tank Dell

March 22

The Jets included No. 42 in the picks package sent to the Packers for Aaron Rodgers; the Browns chose wide receiver Cedric Tillman at No. 74

March 25

April 11

The Lions packaged No. 159 to move up for defensive back Brian Branch in Round 2

April 18

The Rams agreed to pay $5MM of Robinson’s 2023 salary. At No. 234, the Rams chose cornerback Jason Taylor II; at 251, the Steelers selected offensive lineman Spencer Anderson.

April 24

  • Packers send QB Aaron Rodgers, Nos. 15, 170 to Jets for Nos. 13, 42, 207, conditional 2024 second-round pick

Rodgers needed to play 65% of the Jets’ 2023 offensive snaps for the 2024 pick to become a first-rounder; his Week 1 Achilles tear will prevent that from happening. At No. 13, the Packers chose pass rusher Lukas Van Ness; at 15, the Jets took defensive end Will McDonald. At Nos. 42 and 207, Green Bay respectively chose tight end Luke Musgrave and kicker Anders Carlson. The Jets moved down from No. 170, picking up an additional seventh-round pick. 

April 29

At No. 219, the Lions chose wide receiver Antoine Green; at 249, the Eagles selected defensive tackle Moro Ojomo

The Saints chose wide receiver A.T. Perry at No. 195; the Broncos selected center Alex Forsyth at 257

May 12

May 25

July 19

  • Jets move WR Denzel Mims, 2025 seventh-round pick to Lions for conditional 2025 sixth-rounder

Mims needed to make the Lions’ 53-man roster for the pick to convey. With the Lions cutting Mims with an injury settlement in August, the Jets will not end up receiving a pick in this trade.

August 24

August 25

August 27

August 28

August 29

September 20

Akers must tally more than 500 yards from scrimmage to meet the conditional requirement

October 4

October 6

The Broncos agreed to pay all but the prorated veteran minimum of Gregory’s 2023 base salary

October 10

October 18

October 23

October 30

Giants agreed to pay all but the prorated veteran minimum on Williams’ remaining $10MM in base salary

Street must play in at least six games as a Falcon to meet the conditional requirement

October 31

Brian Burns Confirms No Panthers Extension Talks Ongoing

October 30th, 2023 at 3:04pm CST by Adam La Rose

Plenty have pointed to the Panthers as potential sellers ahead of tomorrow’s trade deadline, and a move involving Brian Burns would represent the most impactful one possible. While that does not appear likely, an agreement between team and player on a new contract is not on the horizon either.

The Pro Bowl edge rusher confirmed on Monday (via ESPN’s David Newton) that negotiations on an extension are still on hold. That has been the case since September, despite efforts on both sides during the offseason to gain traction on a long-term deal. As indicated by Burns himself and numerous reports, the Panthers have not come particularly close to hammering out an extension.

Burns is playing on the $16MM fifth-year option this season, and a wide gap still remains on the matter of compensation in his case. Mutual interest still exists to come to terms, but the threat of a franchise tag or a free agent departure has increasingly fueled speculation a trade could be coming. Burns was the target of a massive Rams proposal (one including two first-round picks) last year, but Carolina made it clear then, and in the spring trade which saw them acquire the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft, that Burns was untouchable.

The Florida State alum added that no new negotiations will take place “until it makes sense” to re-start them. The edge market has seen upward mobility recently, with Nick Bosa‘s record-breaking 49ers deal setting a new benchmark at the position That $34MM-per-year pact has been named as a target for Burns, while the Panthers are believed to be aiming closer to back end of the top 10 with respect to AAV (which would land him closer to the Rashan Gary Packers extension agreed to today).

Burns, 25, would carry signficant value for any acquiring team’s long-term future. Given the need for an extension to be worked out upon trading for him, though, it comes as no surprise that interest on that front has been relatively muted despite calls coming in. Continuing to anchor Carolina’s pass rush, Burns has posted five sacks in seven games this year, giving him 43 total in 71 games.

Of course, the Panthers could be persuaded to move on from the likes of wideout Terrace Marshall, cornerback Donte Jackson and safety/linebacker Jeremy Chinn. Those will remain names to watch in the immediate future, but even in the expected event Burns remains in Charlotte past tomorrow afternoon, his long-term status will still be in doubt.

2023 NFL Cap Space, By Team

October 28th, 2023 at 8:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

The countdown to this year’s October 31 trade deadline continues, and a number of deals have already been made. More will follow in the coming days, though, as contending teams look to bolster their rosters for the stretch run and sellers seek to offload expiring contracts and gain future draft assets. Much will be driven, of course, by each squad’s financial situation.

Courtesy of Over the Cap, here’s a breakdown of every team’s cap space in advance of the deadline:

  1. San Francisco 49ers: $39.89MM
  2. Cleveland Browns: $33.99MM
  3. Arizona Cardinals: $11.1MM
  4. Cincinnati Bengals: $10.78MM
  5. Tennessee Titans: $10.55MM
  6. Las Vegas Raiders: $9.16MM
  7. Chicago Bears: $9.06MM
  8. Los Angeles Chargers: $9.05MM
  9. Indianapolis Colts: $8.78MM
  10. Minnesota Vikings: $7.96MM
  11. Green Bay Packers: $7.55MM
  12. New York Jets: $7.17MM
  13. Seattle Seahawks: $7.16MM
  14. Carolina Panthers: $7.07MM
  15. Dallas Cowboys: $7.03MM
  16. Baltimore Ravens: $6.83MM
  17. Atlanta Falcons: $6.76MM
  18. Detroit Lions: $6.62MM
  19. Jacksonville Jaguars: $6.42MM
  20. New Orleans Saints: $4.67MM
  21. Buffalo Bills: $4.58MM
  22. Los Angeles Rams: $4.37MM
  23. Houston Texans: $4.26MM
  24. Washington Commanders: $3.78MM
  25. Kansas City Chiefs: $3.7MM
  26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $3.63MM
  27. Miami Dolphins: $3.49MM
  28. New England Patriots: $2.87MM
  29. Philadelphia Eagles: $2.81MM
  30. Pittsburgh Steelers: $2.55MM
  31. Denver Broncos: $1.22MM
  32. New York Giants: $991K

The 49ers have carried considerable space throughout the season, but general manager John Lynch made it clear last month the team’s intention was to roll over most of their funds into next season. Still, with San Francisco sitting at 5-2 on the year, it would come as little surprise if at least one more depth addition (separate from the Randy Gregory move) were to be made in the near future.

Deals involving pick swaps for role players dominated the trade landscape for some time, but more noteworthy contributors have been connected to a potential swap recently. One of them – Titans safety Kevin Byard – has already been dealt. That has led to speculation Tennessee is open to dealing other big names as they look to 2024. Derrick Henry’s name has come up multiple times with respect to a deal sending him out of Nashville, but that now seems unlikely.

Several edge rushers are on the market, including Danielle Hunter (Vikings) and one or both of Montez Sweat and Chase Young (Commanders). Hunter nearly found himself with the Jaguars this offseason, and last year’s AFC South winners could be on the lookout for a pass rush boost. A mid-level addition in that regard would come as little surprise. In Minnesota and Washington’s case, however, it remains to be seen if they will be true sellers given their 3-4 records heading into tomorrow’s action.

A number of receivers could also be on the move soon. Both the Broncos’ pair of Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton and the Panthers’ Terrace Marshall have been involved heavily in trade talk. Jeudy and Sutton are on the books at an eight figure price tag next season, and the Broncos are unlikely to receive the draft capital they could have at prior points in their Denver tenures. Marshall, by contrast, is in the third season of his four-year rookie contract and could fit more comfortably into an acquiring team’s cap situation. The Panthers have allowed him to seek out a trade partner.

The Cowboys sit in the top half of the league in terms of spending power, but mixed signals initially came out with respect to their interest in making a splash. Owner Jerry Jones has insisted Dallas will not initiate negotiations on a trade, citing his confidence in a 4-2 roster which has been hit by a few notable injuries on defense in particular. Despite having more cap space than most other teams, the Bengals are likewise expected to be quiet on the trade front.  

The past few years have seen a notable uptick in trade activity around the league, and it would come as a surprise if that trend did not continue over the next few days. Last-minute restructures and cost-shedding moves would help the teams in need of flexibility pull off moves, though sellers will no doubt also be asked to retain salary if some of the higher-paid veterans on the trade block end up being dealt. Given the spending power of teams at the top of the list, there is plenty of potential for the league’s landscape to change ahead of the stretch run to the playoffs.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/28/23

October 28th, 2023 at 7:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

Here are the gameday elevations and other minor moves made around the league in advance of Week 8:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Wilkinson’s loss will be notable for the Cardinals, given his status as an entrenched starter at the left guard spot. The 28-year-old joined Arizona on a one-year deal worth the veteran’s minimum in free agency after stints in Denver, Chicago and Atlanta. Trystan Colon replaced him in the starting lineup in Week 7, and that will likely continue for the time being. Wilkinson will be out for at least four weeks as a result of the IR move.

Ridgeway has been out since Week 1, his Texans debut. The former 49er joined the Texans in a move which allowed him to continue working under head coach DeMeco Ryans. Ridgeway ended last season on IR, so he will be looking for an extended run of availability in his new home. A veteran of 78 games (and 19 starts), he will aim to carve out a rotational role up front.

Peters was brought in by the Seahawks while they were dealing with injury problems at both tackle spots. Blindside blocker Charles Cross has since returned, so Peters’ most familiar spot will not be available if he is to make his Seattle debut on Sunday. The fact the latter is healthy and in game shape does mean, however, that he will be eligible to play in a 19th NFL season.

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