The Panthers are reportedly signing former Bengals WR Trenton Irwin.
The Carolina Panthers are about to reunite offensive coordinator Brad Idzik with a former pupil of his.
According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, the Panthers are signing wide receiver Trenton Irwin to their practice squad. Rapoport also notes that the team plans on quickly promoting the 29-year-old pass catcher to the active roster.
Source: Former #Bengals WR Trenton Irwin is signing with the #Panthers practice squad, with a quick elevation to the 53-man roster the plan.
Irwin played his collegiate ball at nearby Stanford University—where he’d cross paths with Idzik, a graduate assistant at the time. In his four years there, from 2015 to 2018, he’d total 152 receptions for 1,738 yards and five touchdowns.
After spending his first NFL offseason as an undrafted free agent for the Miami Dolphins, Irwin eventually stuck on with the Cincinnati Bengals beginning in 2019. He’d appear in 41 games for the Bengals over his six-year pro career, recording 601 yards and five scores on 46 catches.
Irwin is set to become one of at least two additions on Tuesday for the Panthers, who are also expected to sign former Chicago Bears wide receiver/running back/return specialist Velus Jones Jr.
A clutch performance from Bryce Young kept the underdog Panthers in their fight against the Eagles on Sunday.
Despite falling short of yet another thrilling upset on Sunday, the Carolina Panthers are continuing to grow before our very eyes. This once 1-7 team, which was being forced to eat blowout after blowout on a weekly basis early in the season, are actually learning how to win football games over the past month.
Carolina’s recent breakthrough can be linked to the breakout of quarterback Bryce Young, who has emerged in the last several games as a clean and potent playmaker. And even in Week 14’s 22-16 defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles, the former No. 1 overall pick may have offered up his most exciting and encouraging performance yet.
Let’s analyze the film from Young’s outing from this past weekend . . .
The Film
In recent weeks, the Panthers offense has toyed with opposing defenses using their stable of under-center play-action concepts. While this is a little more about the play-calling and designs by head coach Dave Canales and offensive coordinator Brad Idzik, overall, the success also has to do with Young’s operation through and through.
Focus on Young’s footwork below, as he creates a wider platform to work off. Lately, we’ve been pointing out that the Young’s drops are becoming more deliberate and stern. As soon as he hitches, he’s already beginning his throwing process.
Young layers this pass with perfect touch and drops it into the hands of wide receiver David Moore, who does a good job of beating Eagles cornerback Darius Slay at the line of scrimmage with physicality
The connection helps the Panthers convert a third-and-2 to set up a touchdown-scoring trip into the red zone.
UC play-action has been a stable for the #Panthers offense with Young.
Love the touch on this ball to 83, who beats Darius Slay w/ physicality at the LOS on 3rd & 2. 19 yard pickup. pic.twitter.com/cYrlvtY7RV
Good quarterbacks who have the ability to use their legs are always in a pass-first mindset before scrambling. Young has been doing a great job of this, taking what’s in front of him and making good decisions as a signal-caller.
On this third-and-5 early in the fourth quarter, the Panthers are in a must-have situation down six points against the No. 1 defense in the NFL. As Young hitches in his drop, he doesn’t see open options in front of him, forcing him to initially attempt to create yards with his legs.
The big thing here is that he keeps his eyes downfield as he is running up the pocket. As he begins to do so, ol’ reliable Adam Thielen squeaks open to the middle of the field and allows Young to fire a quick pass on the move.
Q4 12:26, 3rd & 5 from CAR 35
Young works through initial progressions. Starts to scramble before lobbing it to Thielen to move the ⛓️’s.
Sunday’s performance also proved that Young still has that clutch gene, one of his major traits during his illustrious career at the University of Alabama.
The Panthers are facing third-and-11 from their 2-yard line following Young’s illegal forward pass. As he makes his drop and begins his progressions, he then starts the scramble drill to create and find someone to get open.
He somehow evades two would-be sacks, keeps his eyes downfield and throws to rookie wideout Xavier Legette for a huge 31-yard gain on the final offensive series of the game.
This play was nothing short of spectacular, and it’s beginning to give Panthers fans hope once again.
For the third week in a row, the opposing defense sent a blitz against Young in an attempt to rattle and force him into a bad decision. And once again, the former No. 1 overall pick defeated the pressure in a high-octane moment.
Young’s lack of confidence and comfort against pressure helped lead to his early-season benching after Week 2. Fast-forward 12 weeks later and he has become one of the best signal-callers in the game at winning against the pressure—especially on this fourth-and-2 with the game on the line.
The Eagles send a six-man pressure on the Panthers with man coverage in the secondary. Canales calls a flood concept to the left with Thielen running a deep out. Young shows trust and confidence in not just his playmakers, but his protection as well—who do a great job at picking up free rushers.
This allows Young to scan the field and fire a dart from the far hash to Thielen to convert the fourth down. The completion showed Young’s high-level poise and composure in the face of all-out pressure as well as his ability to make the big throws in anxiety-driven moments.
4th & 2 with the game on the line. Eagles send 6.
Bryce Young displays high-level poise and composure in the pocket to throw an accurate far-hash pass to Thielen to convert.
When Young returned to the starting lineup six games ago, the three biggest games I had circled as must-prove matchups were those versus the Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Eagles. He has passed those three challenges with flying colors.
Not only has Young begun to play with more control and poise, but he is malso making the Panthers fun to watch—even despite the 3-10 record.
Young is inching closer to being the team’s long-term franchise quarterback. He must continue to maintain this consistency and play.
Sure, he will never be pitch-perfect like some expect him to be, but it is difficult to ignore the success he has had of late. And this success hasn’t come against soft competition—it’s come against three likely playoff teams—two of which could be playing in the Super Bowl LIX.
Panthers OC Brad Idzik admits that TE Jordan Matthews put his playing career to an end when they were both back in college.
Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Brad Idzik was already familiar with one of the team’s pass catchers entering his first year on the job. But that familiarity doesn’t necessarily stem from a positive experience—at least for him.
Idzik chatted with reporters before hitting the practice field on Thursday afternoon. He was asked about veteran tight end Jordan Matthews, who actually provided Idzik with what may have been the most humbling moment of his playing career.
“My last game at Wake Forest was at Vanderbilt,” said Idzik, who played wide receiver and safety for the Demon Deacons from 2011 to 2013. “And Jordan Matthews—we kid about it all the time—it was fourth-and-20, it’s a little embarrassing . . . fourth-and-20, we had a first-round corner on him and safety help and he catches a go ball to win the game. My last career college game.”
Here’s the catch:
Matthews finished the day with 11 receptions for 125 yards in Wake Forest’s 23-21 triumph.
“Yeah, yeah, it kills me,” Idzik later joked. “It’s my lingering moment of actually putting on the pads. So, he drove me to a coaching career quicker than I wanted to.”
Now, with Idzik helping coach up Matthews as a pro, that moment has come full circle in Carolina.
Panthers Wire contributor Jared Feinberg answers some of your questions as we head into Week 1 of the 2024 season.
The Carolina Panthers enter the opening week of the regular season with plenty of question marks yet to be answered. Fans are curious about how their team will perform heading into the year, and want to gauge what is to come.
With Week 1 just days away, let’s reach into our very first mailbag here at Panthers Wire and answer a few of your inquiries . . .
(Note: Some questions have been edited for length and clarity.)
Expectations for Jonathan Mingo
Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Justin asks – What are you expecting from Jonathan Mingo in Year 2?
There was a lot of criticism about Mingo’s play as a rookie in 2023. The second-round pick’s spatial awareness and feel as a wideout were inconsistent at best—resulting in him being out of position, overrunning passes thrown his way and, overall, just offering a skill set that was plain raw.
It’s not Mingo’s fault that the bar may have been set too high. The former Ole Miss standout was a bit overdrafted, and struggled in a bad 2023 Panthers offense. Grace should be given to the 23-year-old.
Mingo turned in a terrific summer where he displayed strides as a route runner and an improved feel for the game. He all but established himself as the No. 2 outside receiver–the off-ball Z–and a potential top target for fellow draft classmate and Panthers quarterback Bryce Young.
This season should see Mingo come close to doubling his yardage total from last year, where he caught 43 passes for 413 yards and no touchdowns. He’ll be the team’s top run-after-catch playmaker outside of rookie Xavier Legette and should receive a decent number of targets.
Xavier Legette’s role in the current rotation
Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images
Chris asks – How do you think they work Leggette into the rotation? I assume he’ll start the season as WR4.
Chris, you are correct. Legette is currently listed as the team’s No. 4 receiver on the unofficial depth chart. While some fans have voiced concerns about Legette potentially not seeing ample playing time early in the season, the team’s first-round selection should hit the gridiron plenty.
Legette will likely be in when the team needs a big play downfield, or if they want to get him in space where he can split defenders and create yards after the catch. He would rotate in with Adam Thielen and Mingo, with snaps as the Z-receiver and in the slot to garner off-coverage looks. But, no, I don’t expect him to get eight to 10 targets per game—at least early on.
Look for Canales and offensive coordinator Brad Idzik to get him schemed targets and allow him to function as a quality rotational piece before getting more snaps throughout the campaign.
How the new DBs could play a role in the secondary
Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports
Malte asks – Do you see any of the new DBs cracking the rotation besides Mike Jackson?
As Malte alluded to, the team traded for Mike Jackson and is expected to start him alongside Jaycee Horn. Then, last week, Carolina took advantage of the No. 1 priority on the NFL’s waiver wire and came away with three cornerbacks.
Those three players–Keenan Isaac, Tariq Castro-Fields and Shemar Bartholomew–are all players with size, length and athleticism. That has value. It’s possible we see these three on special teams and occasionally rotated in to give Horn and Jackson a breather.
However, it’s also possible that one of these three could be inactive depending on the matchup and how each player performs in practice. All three received quite favorable Pro Football Focus grades, which matched some of the tape displayed during the preseason with their former teams.
It’s important that Carolina added bigger corners that resembled their starters. By doing this, it gives them depth with the expectation that their level of play is elevated.
Biggest strength and weakness of the roster
Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images
CoastalPanther asks – What areas of the roster do YOU feel are our strongest and weakest this season? For me, I feel for the first time in ages WR is bright and I feel DE and a strong No. 2 CB are areas of concern until we see how the new additions shake out. But, feel great with direction and seriousness.
Great question! I do agree with you that there is alignment, direction and deliberateness in the Panthers’ process currently.
President of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan is making it known what he is looking for with the Seattle prototype of big, lengthy cornerbacks. I’m intrigued with the waiver wire additions. But until it shows on the field, it’s an unknown.
The biggest weakness on this roster is the No. 2 outside linebacker spot. The team claimed an undrafted free-agent edge rusher, Jamie Sheriff, to add depth to the room. However, head coach Dave Canales has yet to determine who will be starting opposite of Clowney for the season opener in New Orleans.
Carolina’s biggest strength is undoubtedly the safety room. While Canales has made an argument for his group of wideouts, it’s hard to ignore the talent and depth the team’s backend possesses.
Xavier Woods and Jordan Fuller will be manning the deep thirds this season. And backup Nick Scott, who could start on several teams, gives the unit a seamless transition if one of the two were injured.
Additionally, second-year defensive back Jammie Robinson is the physical player in the group—providing physicality and power as a tackler while adding value on special teams.
Maybe Bryce Young just needs a little bullying . . . optimistic bullying, that is!
Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers better be ready for the power of positivity.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield joined Monday’s episode of Pardon My Take, where he spoke a bit about his now-former offensive coordinator Dave Canales. Mayfield was asked how he thinks Canales will be in his new role, as the head coach of the NFC South rival Panthers.
“Good,” he replied. “He’s very relatable. Smart guy. He took our receivers coach from Tampa with him to be the OC—Brad Idzik. Really, really good football mind. And I just think those two guys together, like around Bryce, is gonna be good for him.”
Canales and Idzik were awfully good for Mayfield, who experienced a career campaign in Tampa this past year. The former No. 1 overall pick notched bests in completion percentage (64.3), passing yards (4,044) and passing touchdowns (28) while leading the Bucs to their third straight division crown.
The Panthers are hoping for similar results when it comes to their own No. 1 overall pick. Young underwhelmed during his rookie season, throwing for just 179.8 yards per contest with 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Mayfield continued, and even introduced an interesting title for Canales.
“Dave’s got like . . . the definition of an optimist bully,” he added. “Like, it could be the worst day ever, everything could be going wrong, and he’s sitting there and he’s like like, ‘Guys, we got the next play!’ Like, he’s got a big ol’ smile on his face and you’re like, ‘This guy’s full of [expletive].’ But no, that’s literally who he is, day in and day out. And honestly, it’s refreshing—especially in that industry.”
Well, maybe some (positive) bullying just might work in Carolina.
Panthers QB Andy Dalton seems to be impressed with how new HC Dave Canales operates.
New Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales is making no bones about what he wants in an offense.
Veteran quarterback Andy Dalton attested to that on Tuesday, following the latest session of team organized activities. But first, he was asked about Canales’ integration into the building.
“I just think from the beginning, Dave has come in and he’s tried to build relationships with everybody as quick as he can,” Dalton said. “It’s been fun for me to get to be around him. Kinda knowing what he’s done, his time in Seattle and obviously last year in Tampa.
“But it’s all about building that personal relationship, and he’s been trying to do that in a lot different ways with a lot of different guys. Obviously, when you’re new and there’s a lot of new faces, it takes a lot. But you can tell how important it is to him.”
A familiar face has come along with Canales, one belonging to offensive coordinator Brad Idzik. The two spent four years together in Seattle and one in Tampa Bay, where Idzik served as the Buccaneers wide receivers coach.
So Dalton, with Canales and his workout pal now at the helm, was then asked about the difference between last year’s offense and this year’s.
“I will say this—and this has nothing to do with last year, this has everything to do with what we’re doing right now—Dave and Brad came in and they know exactly what they want,” he said. “They know what they want it to look like, they know how they wanna install it and they have had a plan from the very beginning and it’s been known.”
Panthers WR Adam Thielen: “Everyone is just enjoying being at work.”
To Carolina Panthers wideout Adam Thielen, age is just a number—a lesson that can be learned in more ways than one.
The 33-year-old receiver, who’s coming off the third 1,000-yard campaign of his career, spoke with reporters following Wednesday’s session of voluntary minicamp. He began his chat by talking about the passion of the new offensive coaching staff—specifically head coach Dave Canales, offensive coordinator Brad Idzik and his position coach Rob Moore.
“You can just feel it in meetings, you can feel it on the field that they just love the game of football,” Thielen said this afternoon. “They love to coach it, they love to see it, be around it and that stuff just kinda goes through the team, the receiver room, the quarterback room. When people love ball, it just instantly makes your mood. Everyone is just enjoying being at work.”
Canales has begun to establish a fresh and energetic atmosphere within the organization. Heck, he even lined up at running back, cornerback, edge and defensive tackle at today’s practice.
Thielen is only nine years younger than Canales and one year older than Idzik, which could help explain the connection this staff has started to make with its players. But the veteran pass catcher believes it’s more about who they actually are, and not the year in which they were born, that makes them so relatable.
“You look at a guy like Pete Carroll, right? He’s an older guy, but I think he relates really well with the players,” Thielen added. “I think it really comes down to that energy, that passion for the game and just being able to communicate with guys. I don’t think age is important in that. I think it’s just, hey, what kind of mindset do you bring to your daily routine? What kind of energy? What kind of passion? When guys can feel that and they can see it, day in and day out through the good and bad times, I think that’s when you start to earn respect as a coach and guys wanna play for you.”
Panthers OC Brad Idzik on his relationship with HC Dave Canales: “I think there’s a familiarity and trust with me and Dave that runs pretty deep.”
The dynamic between last year’s head coach and offensive coordinator was a relatively complicated one for the Carolina Panthers. But it really feels as though they won’t have that type of issue this time around.
New offensive coordinator Brad Idzik spoke with reporters on Tuesday afternoon. He was asked about his relationship with head coach Dave Canales, whom he’s shared a sideline with for quite some time.
“I think there’s a familiarity and trust with me and Dave that runs pretty deep,” Idzik said. “We’ve known each other for a long time, and we’ve always pinged ideas off each other. We kinda play devil’s advocate to each other—which I think, for us, keeps each other in check.
“But at the same time, we know what each other wants. When you mention philosophy, we know we wanna run the ball. We wanna start up front and play a physical game, and the rest will kinda build off that.”
The working relationship between the two began in 2019, when Idzik started his career on the NFL sidelines as an assistant wide receivers coach for the Seattle Seahawks. Canales, at the time, was in his second year as the Seahawks’ quarterbacks coach.
After four years together in Seattle, Idzik and Canales moved on to Tampa Bay in 2023—where the former was the wide receivers coach and the latter their offensive coordinator.
Despite his big new title, Idzik is not expected to call play for the offense—at least to start. Those duties will belong to Canales.
Nonetheless, this duo will likely stick to playing healthy games of devil’s advocate, and not hot potato like the previous fellas.
Panthers OC Brad Idzik on Bryce Young: ‘He’s a winner, and that’s something you can’t truly quantify all the time.’
So, what does the new offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers think about his new quarterback?
Brad Idzik, who is entering his very first season at the position, spoke with reporters on Tuesday afternoon. He was asked about his thoughts on Bryce Young.
“Obviously, a winner,” Idzik replied. “He finds a way to win. His arm talent is phenomenal. He makes great, professional throws all over the field—the short, intermediate and down the field as well.
“But he’s a winner, and that’s something you can’t truly quantify all the time. We’re really excited to have him here. We’re really excited to watch him progress this offseason alongside his teammates.”
Young’s progress will be one of the main storylines of the 2024 season, especially after a rough rookie campaign. Last year’s No. 1 overall pick averaged just 179.8 passing yards per game with 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, as the Panthers finished dead-last in the NFL in total offense.
So, Idzik was then asked what he’s seen from Young since beginning the offseason workout program.
“You look at the film, and he put plenty on tape to show you that this is the guy we thought he was,” he said. “But as far as who we see now, we’re in the classrooms right now. So we’re really excited to see that professionalism that he brings to the table—why he won so much throughout every step of his career. We’re excited to build on that and just watch him progress as we get the chance to hit the field with him and watch him take this team and lead it.”
Panthers OC Brad Idzik is ready to start from square one.
New Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Brad Idzik doesn’t plan on picking up where the last coaching staff left off.
The 32-year-old spoke with reporters on Tuesday afternoon, his first presser since being hired to the offensive coordinator position. When asked how he plans on improving the team’s production from its wide receivers, Idzik stated that they’re starting from scratch.
“Just lookin’ at the group—from here forward, operatin’ with a blank slate,” he replied. “So we are starting from square one with every single guy and investing in ’em and his development this offseason.
“From a veteran who’s been around like Adam Thielen and Diontae Johnson, all the way down to a young guy like Jonathan Mingo goin’ into his second year—we’re just letting them show us, through the things they put on tape this offseason, what is there progression looking like now currently? So we’re just excited to really just strip these things down to the bolts and build things up one day at a time.”
Fortunately, there’s almost nowhere to go but up for the group. Carolina’s wideouts struggled mightily with gaining separation through the 2023 campaign, one that saw the passing offense finish dead-last in the NFL at 161.2 yards per game.
Despite not having control of the play-calling duties just yet, Idzik may be the perfect man for that job. Prior to his career on the sidelines, the 6-foot-1, 200-pounder was a standout receiver at Mercer Island High School and played some college ball at Lehigh University and Wake Forest University between 2010 and 2012.
Idzik would then go on to coach the position, serving as the assistant wide receivers coach in Seattle for three seasons and as the wide receivers coach for Tampa Bay in 2023.
So, the Panthers’ pass catchers may be in good hands.
