Panthers Release WR Hunter Renfrow, Finalize Roster Cuts
With time to spare in advance of today’s deadline, the Panthers have finalized their roster moves to get to 53. Here are Carolina’s Tuesday transactions:
Released:
- LB Krys Barnes
- OLB Boogie Basham
- WR Hunter Renfrow
- LB Jon Rhattigan
- DT Shy Tuttle (story)
Waived:
- CB Shemar Bartholomew
- DE Jared Harrison-Hunte
- OL Jarrett Kingston
- LB Maz Mwansa
- TE Bryce Pierre
- WR Ja’seem Reed
- CB Michael Reid
- DT Sam Roberts
- OL Michael Tarquin
- S Trevian Thomas
- OL Brandon Walton
Waived-injured:
Waived via injury settlement:
Placed on IR-designated for return:
- DE LaBryan Ray
Renfrow’s efforts to return to the NFL have been dealt a blow with today’s move. The Clemson product and South Carolina native took a one-year pact in his bid to continue his career after missing all of last season. Renfrow’s pact contained $50K guaranteed, however, and with the Panthers’ other wideouts impressing in camp this release loomed as a possibility. A practice squad deal could be in store in the coming days in this case, but absent an agreement on that front the 29-year-old will seek out a new opportunity.
Carolina was among the teams which announced a list of cuts yesterday in advance of today’s deadline. Among the players waived was quarterback Bryce Perkins. He will be a candidate to sign on the practice squad starting tomorrow (provided no waiver claims are made), but The Athletic’s Joe Person reports Perkins is not in the team’s plans at this point. Roberts, on the other hand, is seen as a taxi squad candidate in the event he clears (h/t Aaron Wilson of KPRC2).
Ray’s IR handling means he will miss at least the first four games of the season. Whereas players moved to IR before today are out for the season, though, Ray is among those eligible to return later in the year. Activating him will count toward Carolina’s allocation of eight for the season whenever he is back in the fold.
Panthers Release K Matthew Wright, Waive 17
The Panthers settled their kicker situation and halved their quarterback depth chart. Here are the first wave of Carolina cuts ahead of Tuesday’s roster-setting deadline:
Released:
Waived:
- QB Jack Plummer
- QB Bryce Perkins
- RB Emani Bailey
- RB Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams
- WR Kobe Hudson
- WR Jacolby George
- WR TJ Luther
- TE Dominique Dafney
- OL Steven Losoya
- OL Luke Kandra
- OLB JJ Weaver
- LB Jacoby Windmon
- CB JaTravis Broughton
- CB Mello Dotson
- CB Tre Swilling
- S Jack Henderson
- S Isaac Gifford
The Wright release leaves rookie UDFA Ryan Fitzgerald as the only kicker on Carolina’s roster. Making a career as a fill-in kicker (save for a full-season 2022 Jaguars stop), Wright has kicked for six teams in games. This was the veteran specialist’s second Panthers stop; he filled in for Eddy Pineiro for a game during the 2023 season.
The Panthers did not re-sign Pineiro this offseason; as of now, they are planning to go with Fitzgerald, a Florida State alum part of the team’s priority free agent class this year. Dave Canales said recently the Panthers were still looking around at kicker. They are a team to watch regarding a late addition — via the waiver wire or free agency. It should be noted Pineiro, the Panthers’ three-year option who is the third-most accurate kicker in NFL history, remains available.
Perkins and Plummer brought the Panthers’ QB count to four; now, only Bryce Young and Andy Dalton are rostered. One of the QBs figures to receive a look for the practice squad, but the Panthers will have other options to look at as P-squad candidates following the other 31 teams’ cuts. Teams are seeing an early preview of who will be available today, as dozens are being released around the league. Perkins only signed with the Panthers last week; Plummer spent most of last season on Carolina’s practice squad, making him a more realistic candidate to land there.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/17/25
Here are the latest minor moves from around the NFL:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: QB Bryce Perkins
Denver Broncos
- Placed on IR: OL Nick Gargiulo
- Signed: FB Adam Prentice
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: DL Philip Blidi
Perkins, the reigning UFL MVP, will add some depth to the Panthers’ quarterback room with Andy Dalton sidelined by an elbow injury, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Perkins appeared in five games for the Rams between 2020 and 2022, but has not played in the last two NFL seasons.
The Broncos were looking to add another fullback after a hamstring injury to starter Michael Burton, per Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette. They auditioned Prentice, Khari Blasingame, and Troy Hairston on Saturday, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, with Prentice earning a roster spot. This will be his second stint in Denver after starting his career there as an undrafted rookie in 2021.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/15/23
Today’s tender decisions from around the NFL:
RFAs
Tendered:
- Bills: CB Dane Jackson
- Patriots: CB Myles Bryant, OT Yodny Cajuste
Non-tendered:
- 49ers: LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
- Lions: OL Tommy Kraemer, DB Bobby Price
- Panthers: QB P.J. Walker
- Rams: QB Bryce Perkins
- Ravens: C-G Trystan Colon-Castillo, LS Nick Moore, LB Del’Shawn Phillips, S Geno Stone, ILB Kristian Welch
- Saints: WR Marquez Callaway
- Seahawks: LB Tanner Muse
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Buccaneers: CB Dee Delaney
- Rams: DT Michael Hoecht, CB Shaun Jolly, LB Christian Rozeboom
- Titans: DT Naquan Jones
Rams Rule Out Matthew Stafford For Week 12
After being placed in the concussion protocol once again, it comes as little surprise that the Rams will be without their starting quarterback for the second time in three weeks. The team has ruled out Matthew Stafford for their Week 12 matchup against the Chiefs, though the reason being cited could be cause for additional concern. 
Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic tweets that, in addition to being in concussion protocol, Stafford has undergone neck and spine testing. The Rams believe that he is currently dealing with a neck strain, ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds (Twitter link). That would add further to Stafford’s injury problems which have been ever-present this campaign.
The 34-year-old faced concerns over his throwing elbow in the lead-in to the season, his second with the Rams. The ailment has been understood as something to simply be dealt with throughout the campaign, rather than one requiring surgery and an extended absence. Then, in Week 10, Stafford was sidelined by a concussion.
Coming off a massive extension signed this offseason, the former Lion has struggled considerably this year relative to his Super-Bowl winning campaign of 2021. The same is true as a whole for the Rams’ offense, which ranks 29th in the league in both yards and points per game. Injuries suffered along the offensive line, and by wideout Cooper Kupp, leave the unit with a much more bleak outlook for the remainder of the season than their performance last season and summer expectations would have suggested.
In the immediate future, attention will turn not to John Wolford – who filled in for Stafford in Week 10 – but rather rookie Bryce Perkins. With the former also banged up, the latter is expected to receive first-team reps in practice this week (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport). Perkins, a UDFA out of Virginia, saw the field for five snaps during the Rams’ loss to the Cardinals 10 days ago, but he will now be in line for his first career start.
The undermanned Rams will face a tough challenge in attempting to snap their four-game losing streak when they visit Kansas City on Sunday. The intermediate- and long-term health of their starting quarterback will remain a more important situation to monitor regardless of the outcome of the game, however.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/18/21
With the Ravens, Browns, and Rams getting eliminated from the playoffs over the weekend, both teams announced their slew of reserve/futures deals on Monday. As a reminder, these are all non-guaranteed deals, usually for practice squad type players, to help teams flesh out their 90-man offseason rosters.
Baltimore Ravens
- LB Aaron Adeoye, DT Aaron Crawford, DT Braxton Hoyett, QB Tyler Huntley, WR Jaylon Moore, LS Nick Moore, DE Chauncey Rivers, DB Nigel Warrior, DB Chris Westry, RB Ty’Son Williams, TE Eli Wolf
Cleveland Browns
- S Elijah Benton, WR Ja’Marcus Bradley, TE Jordan Franks, CB A.J. Green, G Cordel Iwuagwu, QB Kyle Lauletta, DE Cameron Malveaux, TE Kyle Markway, K Matt McCrane, LB Montrel Meander, C Javon Patterson, FB Johnny Stanton, T Alex Taylor, WR Derrick Willies
Los Angeles Rams
-
QB Bryce Perkins; WR JJ Koski; TE Kendall Blanton; OG Jamil Demby; DTs Eric Banks, Marquise Copeland, Michael Hoecht; DE Jonah Williams; LB Christian Rozeboom; DB Donte Deayon, Tyrique McGhee; LS Colbin Holba; K Austin MacGinnis; P Brandon Wright
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/2/21
Here are Saturday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Christian Kirk
- Promoted: DL Stacy McGee, LB Terrance Smith, CB Jace Whittaker
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: WR Chris Rowland, WR Devin Gray, TE Jared Pinkney
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: CB Nate Brooks, QB Tyler Huntley
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Tyler Kroft; Kroft contracted the coronavirus
- Promoted: TE Nate Becker, CB Dane Jackson, DE Mike Love, RB Antonio Williams
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: LB Clay Johnston, T Aaron Monteiro, QB Tommy Stevens
- Placed on IR: CB Troy Pride
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: DB Xavier Crawford
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Mike Daniels
- Promoted: LB Keandre Jones, DT Kahlil McKenzie, CB Winston Rose
Cleveland Browns
- Signed off Jets’ practice squad: G Blake Hance
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: S Karl Joseph
- Promoted: G Cordell Iwuagwu, LB Montrel Meander, T Alex Taylor
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from IR: DB Steven Parker
- Promoted: DT Walter Palmore, T William Sweet
Denver Broncos
- Placed on IR: WR K.J. Hamler
- Promoted: LB Josh Watson
Detroit Lions
- Activated from IR: DT Danny Shelton
- Promoted: C Evan Brown, DT Albert Huggins, S Bobby Price
- Waived: DL Frank Herron
Green Bay Packers
- Placed on IR: David Bakhtiari (story)
- Promoted: G Ben Braden, DL Brian Price
Houston Texans
- Promoted: OL Greg Mancz, WR Steven Mitchell
- Placed on IR: OL Brent Qvale
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted: S Ibraheim Campbell, T Jared Veldheer
- Activated from IR: TE Noah Togiai
- Waived: WR Marcus Johnson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on IR: WR Collin Johnson
- Promoted: WR Terry Godwin, OL Tre’vour Wallace-Simms
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from IR: S Jeff Heath
- Promoted: LB James Onwualu, OL Erik Magnuson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted: DB John Brannon
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: QB Bryce Perkins
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: S Nate Holley, WR Marcus Kemp, QB Reid Sinnett
- Waived: FB Chandler Cox
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: CB Tae Hayes, Cordrea Tankersley, DE Eddie Yarbrough
New England Patriots
- Placed on IR: RB Damien Harris
- Promoted: TE/DL Rashod Berry, CB Michael Jackson, LB Cassh Maluia, OL Ross Reynolds, CB D’Angelo Ross
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: FB Michael Burton, RB Latavius Murray, S D.J. Swearinger, RB Dwayne Washington; Murray and Washington are close contacts of COVID-positive Alvin Kamara (story)
- Promoted: LB Andrew Dowell, TE Garrett Griffin, CB Grant Haley, LB Chase Hansen, WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey, RB Tony Jones Jr., WR Tommylee Lewis
New York Giants
- Activated from IR: LB Kyler Fackrell, CB Madre Harper
- Promoted: P Ryan Santoso
- Placed on IR: FB Elijhaa Penny
- Waived: QB/WR Joe Webb
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: G Greg Van Roten
- Waived: K Sam Ficken
- Promoted: LB Noah Dawkins, LB Sharif Finch, LB Brady Sheldon, DL Tanzel Smart
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: S Blake Countess, DE Joe Ostman, T Prince Tega Wanogho
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Eric Ebron, LB Cassius Marsh
- Promoted: WR Deon Cain, T Anthony Coyle, TE Kevin Rader, K Matthew Wright
San Francisco 49ers
- Activated from IR: G Tom Compton
- Promoted: DT Josiah Coatney, WR Jordan Matthews, K Tristan Vizcaino, OL Isaiah Williams
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from IR: CB Tre Flowers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Damarious Randall, T Brandon Shell
- Promoted: G Alex Boone, RB Alex Collins, WR Penny Hart
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: CB Herb Miller, DL Benning Potoa’e
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: P Brett Kern
- Promoted: LB Brooks Reed, K Sam Sloman
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: WR Dontrelle Inman
Rams Planning To Sign QB Blake Bortles
With Jared Goff being sidelined by a thumb injury, the Rams will be turning to a familiar face. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that Los Angeles is planning to sign Blake Bortles off the Broncos practice squad.
However, this impending signing shouldn’t add any confusion to this weekend’s depth chart. The team announced that Goff is officially out in a crucial contest against the Cardinals, with John Wolford getting the start under center. Meanwhile, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic explains (on Twitter) that the Rams will likely promote Bryce Perkins from the practice squad, meaning they’ll temporarily be holding four quarterbacks (Goff, Wolford, Bortles, Perkins) on their active roster. One or two of these quarterbacks will likely land on the Rams practice squad once Goff is ready to return.
Following a disappointing five-year stint with the Jaguars, Bortles signed a one-year deal with the Rams during the 2019 offseason. He proceeded to appear in three games last season, completing a single three-yard pass. After going unsigned throughout the 2020 offseason, Bortles joined the Broncos in September following an injury to Drew Lock. He was eventually released by Denver and landed back on their practice squad.
In 78 career games, Bortles has completed 59.3-percent of his passes for 17,649 yards, 103 touchdowns, and 75 interceptions. The two quarterbacks currently ahead of him on the depth chart, Wolford and Perkins, have yet to appear in an NFL game.
Rams Claim LB Justin Hollins, Add 15 To Practice Squad
The Rams left their roster at 52 players after cutdown day, and the team filled the roster spot with a player familiar with their new defensive coordinator.
Los Angeles submitted a waiver claim for Justin Hollins, a linebacker whom Denver cut Saturday, and the 2019 draft pick will rejoin Brandon Staley. The Broncos used Hollins at both inside and outside linebacker spots last season; Staley coached Denver’s outside linebackers in 2019.
This will bring another ex-Staley pupil to L.A. The Rams already signed Leonard Floyd, whom Staley coach in Chicago, to be a starter. Hollins, a fifth-round pick out of Oregon, profiles as a depth piece.
The Rams also set their practice squad Sunday. All 15 players were in camp with the Rams this year, so for those hoping to go in fresh for the Hard Knocks finale next week, this is the spoiler warning.
Here is how the Rams’ practice squad looks:
- LB Daniel Bituli
- TE Kendall Blanton
- C Cohl Cabral
- DT Marquise Copeland
- CB Donte Deayon
- G Jamil Demby
- DT Michael Hoecht
- DB JuJu Hughes
- WR J.J. Koski
- DB Tyrique McGhee
- LB Derrick Moncrief
- LB Natrez Patrick
- QB Bryce Perkins
- LB Christian Rozeboom
- DE Jonah Williams
Rams Make Roster Cuts
The Rams are one-upping everyone else, making a slew of roster cuts to get down to *52* players, as Adam Schefter passes along on Twitter. Presumably they’re planning on making another move imminently and not starting the year with one less player than everyone else.
Los Angeles had already made a bunch of cuts, so it’s a smaller group getting the axe now:
- DT Marquise Copeland
- DB Donte Deayon
- DT Michael Hoecht
- LB Clay Johnston
- LB Natrez Patrick
- QB Bryce Perkins
- LB Christian Rozeboom
- DE Jonah Williams
- LB Justin Lawler (waived/injured)
- LB Travin Howard (added to injured reserve)
- DT A’Shawn Robinson (added to NFI list)
Deayon and Johnston have both been featured prominently on HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’ during camp, so there will surely be some fans bummed about those cuts. Both are good bets to be back on the practice squad since Johnston was a draft pick and Deayon was on the active roster at times last year.
Perkins had plenty of electrifying moments as Virginia’s quarterback, but the UDFA apparently wasn’t ready to make it as an NFL passer. Howard and Robinson aren’t getting cut but are rather being put on IR and the non-football injury list respectively. Howard, who was supposed to play a big role on defense, will be out for the season while Robinson will have to miss at least the first six games.
