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Wes Horton

Panthers Sign Eight To Futures Contracts

February 10th, 2016 at 9:25am CST by Luke Adams

Having concluded their season on Sunday, the Panthers have begun to sign players to their 90-man offseason roster, inking eight players to reserve/futures contracts on Tuesday. The team’s official website has the complete list of signees, all of whom finished the season on Carolina’s practice squad:Panthers Helmet (Featured)

With eight of the 10 Panthers practice squad players re-signing with the team, only defensive end Wes Horton and linebacker Nate Askew didn’t get new deals. It’s possible that Carolina didn’t offer either player a futures contract, but it also wouldn’t be a surprise if Horton, at least, wanted to explore other opportunities.

An undrafted rookie in 2013, Horton 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. However, he returned to a bench role in 2015, then was suspended four games for violating the NFL’s policy on performance enhancing substances, before ultimately being cut from the 53-man roster in December. He signed with Carolina’s practice squad at the start of the postseason.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/7/16

January 7th, 2016 at 9:02am CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves from around the NFL:

  • The Vikings put tight end Rhett Ellison on IR, promoted defensive end B.J. DuBose from the practice squad, and signed Toby Johnson to the practice squad, as Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press tweets.
  • The Bengals put defensive tackle Brandon Thompson on IR with a knee injury and promoted defensive tackle DeShawn Williams to the 53-man roster, as Paul Dehner Jr. of The Cincinnati Enquirer tweets.
  • The Panthers signed defensive end Wes Horton to the practice squad, David Newton of ESPN.com tweets. Horton was suspended by the league for four games this year for violating the substance abuse policy.

Panthers Waive Wes Horton

December 28th, 2015 at 2:09pm CST by Luke Adams

A little over a month after he was suspended four games by the NFL for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances, defensive end Wes Horton has been waived by the Panthers, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.

After he sat out for four games, Horton received a roster exemption this past week that was set to expire today. The exemption allowed Carolina to carry the defensive end as a 54th man, without activating him to the club’s 53-man roster. The Panthers then had to decide by today whether to activate him or cut the 25-year-old, and have chosen to part ways with him.

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. In 2015, Horton compiled just seven total tackles and one sack in eight games (two starts) prior to his suspension.

Horton will become a free agent if he goes unclaimed on waivers.

NFC Notes: Saints, Packers, Eagles, Panthers

December 22nd, 2015 at 8:12pm CST by Luke Adams

With the Saints‘ season winding down, Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com revisits the September trade that sent defensive lineman Akiem Hicks to New England in exchange for tight end Michael Hoomanawanui. As Woodbery writes, neither player has made a huge impact for his new team, though New Orleans has had to play Kevin Williams a little more than expected to compensate for the loss of Hicks, and the Saints’ lack of depth.

  • Having landed on injured reserve on Monday, Packers wide receiver Ty Montgomery will undergo surgery on his ankle next week, agent Damarius Bilbo tells Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Although the rookie’s high ankle sprain – sustained in October – had healed, there’s still cartilage damage that needs to be repaired.
  • The Eagles could be without their starting nose tackle as they make a run for the postseason, Derrick Gunn of CSNPhiladelphia.com reports (via Twitter) that Bennie Logan could be out for the remainder of the season. A source tells Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News that Logan will miss this weekend’s contest against Washington.
  • The Panthers will have a roster exemption for defensive end Wes Horton until next Monday, tweets Howard Balzer of the SportsXchange. Horton has been reinstated from his four-game suspension, but won’t be able to return to action until Carolina places him on its 53-man roster.

Panthers DE Wes Horton Suspended

November 23rd, 2015 at 6:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Panthers defensive end Wes Horton has been suspended without pay for the teams next four games for violating the NFL policy on performance enhancing substances, as David Newton of ESPN.com writes. Horton’s suspension begins immediately and he will be eligible to return to the Panthers active roster on Monday, December 21st. That means Horton won’t be eligible to play until the Panthers’ Week 16 contest against the Falcons.

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. In 2015, Horton has compiled just 7 total tackles and one sack in eight games.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/6/15

October 6th, 2015 at 6:02pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves..

  • The Panthers signed defensive end Wes Horton just days after cutting him, as Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer tweets. To make room, offensive tackle offensive tackle David Foucault has been waived. If Foucault clears waivers, he will be signed to the practice squad, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
  • The Rams have re-signed linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar to the roster, Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch tweets.
  • The Bears have promoted tackle Nick Becton from the taxi squad to the 53-man roster, as Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune tweets.
  • The Buccaneers announced that they have promoted defensive end Howard Jones to the active roster from the practice squad.
  • Also, Buccaneers defensive end T.J. Fatinikun has been placed on IR after suffering a knee injury in the second half of Sunday’s game against Carolina. He had just returned from a shoulder injury to appear in the Bucs’ last two games, recording one tackle and two stops on special teams. Last year, his first in the NFL, Fatinikun played in ten Buccaneer games and had eight tackles and a half-sack.
  • The Saints signed veteran tackle Tony Hills, as Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Panthers Waive Wes Horton

October 3rd, 2015 at 9:43am CST by Ben Levine

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.