Jacob Eason

Panthers Cut Jacob Eason, Preston Williams

As the Panthers prepare to begin their Bryce Young era, they have Andy Dalton in place as the No. 1 overall pick’s mentor. With Dalton under contract as a possible bridge option, the team will trim one of its holdovers from the roster.

The Panthers waived Jacob Eason on Thursday, moving their quarterback room down to three. Matt Corral, whom the then-Matt Rhule-led team traded up for during the 2022 third round, remains under contract. Corral missed all of his rookie season due to a Lisfranc injury.

In addition to Eason, Carolina cut wide receiver Preston Williams. Since showing promise as a rookie UDFA with the Dolphins in 2019, Williams has been unable to return to that production level. Although the Dolphins used the 6-foot-5 pass catcher regularly when he was healthy in 2020, injuries ended up defining his time in Miami. An ACL tear and a foot injury limited Williams to 16 games (14 starts) from 2019-20.

Williams, 26, barely played in 2021 and wound up in trade rumors during training camp last year. The Dolphins wound up cutting him, leading to a Panthers flier. A former Laviska Shenault teammate at Colorado State, Williams saw far less playing time for the 2022 Panthers. He suited up for one game last season.

That matches Eason’s output. The former Georgia and Washington starter attempted five passes during another season of Panthers quarterback instability. Eason, 25, has now been cut from two Frank Reich-led teams.

The Colts drafted Eason in the 2020 fourth round but waived him a year later, with 2021 sixth-round pick Sam Ehlinger becoming the primary backup to Carson Wentz and then Matt Ryan. Eason spent 2022 with three teams. After the Seahawks cut him, the Panthers added him to their practice squad. Carolina released Eason from its P-squad, leading to time with the 49ers, but circled back to him via a reserve/futures deal in January.

While Corral landed in trade rumors earlier this year, he remains Carolina’s third-string quarterback heading into OTAs. With Young and Dalton around now, however, the Ole Miss product’s Charlotte future is foggy.

NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/24/23

Today’s reserve/futures deals:

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

  • FB Tyler Coyne

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

  • OT Jarrid Williams

Pittsburgh Steelers

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/3/23

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/15/22

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed: DB Devon Key

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Released: WR Kevin Kassis

Tennessee Titans

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/7/22

Today’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

San Francisco 49ers

Sharpe has bounced in recent years, and the 49ers will be his second team in 2022. The 27-year-old initially signed with the Bears in May, but did not see the field in Chicago. He will provide depth for a San Francisco team which has had fellow veteran Willie Snead see time on and off the taxi squad.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/15/22

Today’s minor moves around the league:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/1/22

Today’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed: TE Anthony Firkser, TE Tucker Fisk, CB Ka’Dar Hollman

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

  • Signed: WR Lynn Bowden Jr.

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Signed: LB Davion Taylor

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC South

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These BuccaneersFalcons, Panthers and Saints moves are noted below.

Here are Wednesday’s NFC South transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day.

Atlanta Falcons

Claimed:

Released:

Signed to practice squad:

Carolina Panthers

Signed to practice squad:

New Orleans Saints

Claimed:

  • T Tanner Owen (from Bills)

Released:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Signed to practice squad:

Seahawks Make Final Cuts, Hope To Re-Sign CB Justin Coleman

Joining the rest of the NFL, the Seahawks made their round of cuts Tuesday. Here is how the NFC West squad reached the 53-man max:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Placed on IR:

After agreeing to return to Seattle this offseason, Coleman worked as the team’s starting nickel during the preseason. The veteran slot’s second Seattle stint may not be through, despite being released. Pete Carroll pointed to Coleman being brought back. Roster moves after trims to 53 frequently result in vested vets returning; Coleman certainly appears in the team’s plans.

Justin is a really good football player and hopefully this isn’t where we’re done with him,” Carroll said, via the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta.

Coleman, who played for the Seahawks in 2017-18, returned to the Pacific Northwest on a one-year deal with just $153K guaranteed. He has been expected to man the slot alongside starters Sidney Jones and Artie Burns. Jones, however, has run into more injury trouble. The former Washington Huskies standout did not play in the Seahawks’ preseason slate, and Carroll confirmed the team’s top corner is still dealing with the effects of a concussion sustained Aug. 3. The team has not ruled out Jones playing in its opener, but a short-term IR stint may also be on tap.

A former first-round talent who suffered a pre-draft injury that dropped him to Round 2 in 2017, Jones found his footing again after being traded to Seattle in 2021. He started 11 games for the Seahawks, who then lost a starting corner in free agency for the second straight offseason (D.J. Reed, Jets). In addition to Jones, Carroll said cornerback John Reid is dealing with an injury. After aggravating a groin injury in the Seahawks’ preseason finale, the third-year defender may also be a short-term IR candidate

While Coleman was in Detroit and Miami, Blair spent some time at nickel. But the former second-round pick saw knee injuries end his past two seasons. He was unable to gain traction as a safety during camp, with Condotta adding the Seahawks had stopped using him in the slot. The Seahawks kept rookie UDFA Joey Blount as a fifth safety instead. The Seahawks listed Arcega-Whiteside, obtained in a trade for DB Ugo Amadi this month, as a receiver. The Eagles had tried the disappointing draftee at tight end this offseason.

Latest On Seahawks’ QB Situation

Seattle made headlines in early March when they agreed to trade Russell Wilson to the Broncos in exchange for multiple draft picks, quarterback Drew Lock, defensive lineman Shelby Harris, and tight end Noah Fant. After losing their starter of the last ten years, the Seahawks are going through the motions now of determining who will be taking snaps from under center when the season starts this fall. 

Through Phase II of their offseason program, returning Seahawk Geno Smith has been taking the first snaps in drills, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Breer still expects Lock to emerge as the starter, in time, once he’s had the opportunity to make up ground as a newcomer to Seattle’s system.

The 31-year-old Smith returned to starting duties this past season for the first time since 2017 and for the first time in multiple games in a season since his sophomore year with the Jets all the way back in 2014. Smith signed with Seattle in 2019, spending two years as Wilson’s backup while only making an appearance in one game. Last season, though, saw Smith relieve Wilson when the latter suffered a finger injury in a Week 5 loss to the Rams.

Smith finished the game for Wilson and, when Wilson was put on injured reserve, Smith started the next three games for the Seahawks. Smith performed admirably in Wilson’s stead, completing 68.4% of his passes for 702 yards while tossing 5 touchdowns to 1 interception. He also added 42 yards and a touchdown on the ground in 9 carries. Even though the team went 1-2 with Smith as a starter, he kept the Seahawks competitive, not only proving that he still has some gas in the tank but showing some of the best football of his career to date.

Lock was a second-round pick for the Broncos back in 2019, a backup option to then-newly acquired starting quarterback Joe Flacco. Lock suffered a preseason thumb injury that landed him on injured reserve, returning to practice in mid-November. Flacco suffered a neck injury that would require surgery and after three games of Brandon Allen, Denver turned to their rookie coming off injured reserve.

Lock took the NFL-world by storm, winning four of the Broncos last five games of the season. In that stretch Lock completed 64.1% of his passes for 1,020 yards, throwing 7 touchdowns to 3 interceptions. Lock took on full-time starting duties in his sophomore season. His completion percentage dropped to 57.34% on the year and his interceptions caught up to his touchdowns as his touchdown-interception ratio read 16-15. In his 13 starts, the Bronco went just 4-9. Last season saw Lock lose the quarterback competition to Teddy Bridgewater. Lock appeared in injury relief in two games before a concussion to Bridgewater in Week 14 handed Lock the keys to the offense for the rest of the season. The Broncos would lose all three of Lock’s starts, in which he would show more of the same from his full season as a starter.

Breer sees Lock emerging as the starting quarterback because of reports from 2019 that general manager John Schneider “really liked Lock coming out” of college, adding that the inclusion of Lock in the trade deal was similar to Jared Goff‘s inclusion in the Matthew Stafford-trade Detroit made last year. Breer also points out that Lock’s offensive coordinator during the best stretch of his young career during that rookie season was Rich Scangarello, who ran a very similar offense to Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.

Behind Smith and Lock is the young Jacob Eason who failed to impress in very limited action with the Colts last year. The job will fall on the shoulders of either Smith or Lock, with Seahawks-fans likely hoping that Lock, the younger of the two, will establish himself as their future at the position.