Tag: Cade Mays

Panthers’ long-term investments in their offensive line are already paying off

Panthers GM Dan Morgan is getting his return on investment along the offensive line.

Even at 3-8 here in Week 13, the Carolina Panthers have come to experience more ups than downs this season.

Quarterback Bryce Young has bounced back into the starting lineup and is playing the best ball of his pro career, a few rookie pass catchers are carving out exciting roles and the defense—at least in the last three games—has stepped up to make key stops in giving the team a chance to win.

But the highest high note from the 2024 campaign has been their rebuilt offensive line.

One year ago, the Panthers had arguably the worst front five in the NFL. And the most glaring weaknesses on the group came on the inside, where there was a literal changing of the guards seemingly every week.

President of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan made a promise in the offseason to rebuild the middle of the unit, and ended up spending a lot of money in doing so. In free agency, Carolina signed former Miami Dolphins right guard Robert Hunt to a five-year, $100 million deal then former Seattle Seahawks left guard Damien Lewis to a four-year, $53 million contract.

The Panthers also added Yosh Nijman as a quality spot starter behind tackles Ikem Ekwonu and Taylor Moton, and moved former right guard Austin Corbett to the starting center position.

And now, with the team having an entire offensive line it can be proud of, Morgan’s return on investment may already be one of the best this franchise has ever gotten.

One of the many beneficiaries of the reconstruction has been the left tackle in Ekwonu, who has been solid in his third NFL campaign. Having a stout left guard in Lewis has helped with communication and handling different types of pressures that have come their way.

Ekwonu’s current Pro Football Focus grades are all at career-highs—as he boasts an overall mark of 72.7 along with a 70.2 in pass blocking and an 82.3 in run blocking.

It’s plays like the one below that have the Panthers front office and fans smiling ear to ear.

There is pre-snap and post-snap communication, linemen are hitting their landmarks in pass-blocking sets, displaying active and competitive hands, getting grips on opposing defensive linemen and setting a firm anchor.

One of the most impressive performances from this group was against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 12.

The Chiefs have an aggressive defensive front that can get after the quarterback at a blistering clip. Top defensive tackle Chris Jones had his way a couple of times throughout the game against this bunch—but he was largely quiet, and it almost helped the Panthers upset the defending Super Bowl champions.

Coaching has played a significant role in Carolina’s improved offensive line play as well. Run game coordinator Harold Goodwin, offensive line coach Joe Gilbert and assistant offensive line coach Keli’i Kekuewa have been behind the unit’s growth and development.

For example—Corbett, who was playing high-level football at the center position, tore his triceps in Week 5. He’d be replaced by Brady Christensen, who filled in seamlessly for three starts.

Then Christensen, who had to fill in for an injured Ekwonu on the blindside, would be replaced at center by Cade Mays. And Mays, highlighted by his 85.5 pass-blocking grade against Kansas City, has also proven to be a reliable presence in the middle over his three starts.

The successful plug-and-play approach is a sign that this staff is adamant about putting their players in the best position to win. Combine that with a general manager willing to spend a lot of money to improve a specific unit, and there is something to really look forward to and anticipate in the future.

Morgan still has plenty to prove as a general manager, but his 2024 offseason could be a baseline for what he needs to do to give fans some more excitement in the coming seasons.

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Panthers name starting center for Week 12 matchup vs. Chiefs

Panthers HC Dave Canales has tabbed Cade Mays as the team’s starting center for Week 12.

The Carolina Panthers have a pretty good problem at the center position, where both Brady Christensen and Cade Mays have played well of late. But who will get the start there this weekend?

Head coach Dave Canales, in his post-practice presser on Wednesday, officially gave Mays the nod for their Week 12 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. Sunday will mark the third straight start at center for the former sixth-round pick, who rejoined the team on Oct. 8.

“Yeah, Cade Mays took the snaps with the first group today,” Canales told reporters. “Brady took snaps as well, and he does some other things too. But Damien [Lewis] was out today with an illness. He’ll be back tomorrow, hopefully. So Chandler [Zavala] got some good work in there.

“The group, again, when one guy goes down, next guy come up and try to continue to just take the next step forward.”

Christensen was the initial replacement at center for Week 1 starter Austin Corbett, whose campaign was cut short after just five games due to a triceps tear. He’d then have to kick out to left tackle in place of an injured Ikem Ekwonu for the last two weeks, giving Mays his shot at center.

With Ekwonu expected to return from his ankle injury this week, Christensen will likely serve as the “sixth man” of the offensive line for the time being.

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Panthers OL Cade Mays proving to be a valuable, versatile asset

Cade Mays has been a pleasant surprise for the Panthers here in 2024.

After a week off, the Carolina Panthers are set to embark on a seven-game stretch to end the season—one that begins with the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. And despite the challenging start, there’s hope in the air for these streaking underdogs.

The Panthers, winners of two straight, have experienced some upward momentum in the past few weeks with plenty of good to discuss. One of those, as it has been all season long, is the growth of the offensive line—which has surprisingly been one of the most sound fronts in the league.

What’s even more surprising is that they’ve stayed consistent despite the handful of injuries they’ve faced. The group has been without Week 1 starting center Austin Corbett, who had his campaign cut short after just five games, and—to more temporary degrees—left tackle Ikem Ekwonu and right tackle Taylor Moton.

Nevertheless, the hog mollies have not let the setbacks actually set them back. Instead, they’ve let their quality depth and serviceable play—rarities in NFL offensive line rooms—keep them moving.

Cade Mays has been one of those depth pieces that has made the puzzle. Even despite his prior inexperience at the center position, he’s stepped right in—taking over for Brady Christensen . . . who was taking over for Corbett.

According to Pro Football Focus, Mays had not given up a sack over his first two career starts in the middle. That’s a testament, especially against the likes of New Orleans’ Bryan Bresee and New York’s Dexter Lawrence II, to his growth and development.

Let’s look back at some of his work against Lawrence and the Giants in Week 10.

He was violent in Munich, using his raw power at the point of attack when necessary. Below is one of just a couple of Chuba Hubbard runs that broke free because of Mays. 

As soon as he snaps the ball, Mays displays good lateral movement and explosiveness from the jump—using that momentum to bulldoze the 3-technique. He then works to the second level to shade over and seal off the big nickel defender.

This allows Hubbard to spring lose for one of his many chunk plays in his career performance.

One of the most impressive performances in Germany was Mays’ play against Lawrence, arguably the best interior defensive lineman in football.

There’s a saying that the low man wins and Mays shows that here. Watch him get proper leverage on Lawrence and get ahold of his chest plate.

He anchors very well while being able to twist the All-Pro into the dirt and open a path for Hubbard to score his lone touchdown. This was one of the most impressive reps from any player on the field that day.

Mays displayed ample communication with protection calls and MIKE identifications in pass protection. He was effective through the ground, his pass sets were adequate and he’s made a case to remain at center moving forward.

Some may think this center situation for Carolina isn’t ideal. With Ekwonu likely to be back this week, the Panthers will have to decide if it’s Christensen or Mays snapping the ball to starting quarterback Bryce Young.

But if it’s a problem, it’s certainly a good one. Depth, again, is a rarity in this league—and the Panthers seem to have it in spades right now.

We must give out props to the team’s coaching staff—particularly offensive line coach Joe Gilbert, assistant offensive line coach Keli’i Kekuewa and run game coordinator Harold Goodwin. They have done a superb job with the construction and maturation of the group and its depth, something Mays has had his hand in.

Regardless of who does start against the Chiefs, this should be a sign that Mays is a critical asset to the Panthers depth chart for the rest of the campaign.

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Carolina Panthers players who are free agents in 2025

With the trade deadline now behind us, let’s take a look at the Panthers who are set to become free agents following the 2024 season:

(This story was updated to add new information.)

The 2024 NFL trade deadline has come and gone, and it didn’t go without a few moves from the Carolina Panthers.

Last week, the team shipped off wideout Diontae Johnson to the Baltimore Ravens in a trade involving a late-round pick swap for the 2025 draft. And yesterday, in a much more favorable return, they sent fellow receiver Jonathan Mingo over to the Dallas Cowboys.

So now that those departures are official, we could start looking ahead towards free agency for quite a few more.

Here are Panthers whose contracts are set to expire following the season:

  • QB Andy Dalton
  • RB Chuba Hubbard (Signed four-year extension)
  • RB Raheem Blackshear (RFA)
  • WR David Moore
  • WR Jalen Coker (ERFA)
  • TE Tommy Tremble
  • TE Ian Thomas
  • TE Feleipe Franks (RFA)
  • OL Brady Christensen
  • OL Cade Mays
  • C Austin Corbett
  • DL LaBryan Ray
  • DL DeShawn Williams
  • DL Jonathan Harris
  • DL Raequan Williams (ERFA)
  • OLB Charles Harris
  • OLB Thomas Incoom
  • OLB Cam Gill
  • ILB Shaq Thompson
  • CB Mike Jackson
  • CB Lonnie Johnson Jr.
  • CB Anthony Brown
  • S Xavier Woods
  • S Jordan Fuller
  • S Sam Franklin Jr.
  • S Nick Scott
  • S Demani Richardson (ERFA)
  • K Eddy Piñeiro
  • P Johnny Hekker
  • LS JJ Jansen

*RFA = Restricted free agent
*ERFA = Exclusive rights free agent

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Panthers sign OL Cade Mays off of Giants’ practice squad

The New York Giants lost practice squad OL Cade Mays to the Carolina Panthers on Tuesday and re-signed LB Benton Whitley to the reserve unit.

On Tuesday, the Carolina Panthers signed offensive lineman Cade Mays off of the New York Giants practice squad as part of a flurry of roster moves.

The 25-year-old Mays was signed to the team’s reserve unit in early September following a series of private workouts.

The 6-foot-6, 325-pound Mays began his college career at Georgia before transferring to Tennessee. He was named Second-Team All-SEC in 2021.

Mays was a sixth-round pick of the Panthers in the 2022 NFL draft. He’s appeared in 27 career games with seven starts, all at guard. He’s taken most of his snaps on the left side but has taken several on the right side over the previous two seasons.

Mays had not been elevated by the Giants this season.

Replacing Mays on the practice squad is linebacker Benton Whitley, who was waived this past Saturday after the Giants activated linebacker Matthew Adams from injured reserve (IR).

The 25-year-old Whitley originally signed with the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Holy Cross in 2022. He also spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs and Vikings before the Giants signed him off of Minnesota’s practice squad last November.

The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Whitley has appeared in 17 career games, including five with the Giants over the past two seasons.

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Panthers announce 6 moves on Tuesday

The Panthers made a handful of moves on Tuesday.

The Carolina Panthers are trying to roll with the punches.

With starting center Austin Corbett now done for the rest of the season due to a biceps tear, the team announced that they have signed offensive lineman Cade Mays to their active roster. Mays, a former Panther, was previously a member of the New York Giants’ practice squad.

Carolina selected Mays in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft. The versatile 6-foot-6, 325-pound hog molly, who played every position on the offensive line during his collegiate career at the University of Tennessee, has amassed 362 snaps at left guard and 104 at right guard as a pro.

Mays should provide some depth after the loss of Corbett, who head coach Dave Canales spoke about on Monday.

“Again, just another blow,” Canales told reporters yesterday afternoon. “With a guy that just stands for everything that I believe in—the work ethic, the practice habits, the professionalism, his positive outlook in terms of what can be on the next drive, just continuing to work and control the things that he can control. So my heart is with Austin.”

The Panthers also signed outside linebacker Thomas Incoom to the active roster. Incoom, who was elevated from the practice squad the past two weeks, has tallied 22 total snaps thus far.

In addition, the team has released running back Mike Boone and practice-squad safety Alex Cook and waived defensive tackle Jayden Peevy and safety Russ Yeast.

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Giants sign OL Cade Mays to practice squad, cut Marcellus Johnson

The New York Giants have signed guard Cade Mays to the practice squad and terminated the contract of OL Marcellus Johnson.

The New York Giants continued tweaking their roster on Tuesday night, signing offensive lineman Cade Mays to the practice squad after a series of workouts earlier in the week.

The 6-foot-6, 325-pound Mays began his college career at Georgia before transferring to Tennessee. He was named Second-Team All-SEC in 2021.

Mays, 25, was a sixth-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in the 2022 NFL draft. He’s appeared in 27 career games with seven starts, all at guard. He’s taken most of his snaps on the left side but has taken several on the right side over the past two seasons.

In 2023, Mays earned an overall Pro Football Focus grade of 58.3 (71.2 run block, 43.0 pass protection).

In order to clear room for Mays on the practice squad, the Giants terminated the contract of offensive lineman Marcellus Johnson.

Alongside Mays, the Giants worked out offensive lineman Garret Greenfield, quarterback Gavin Hardison, punter George Triplett, and wide receivers Cornelius Johnson, Tay Martin, and Ihmir Smith-Marsette.

Smith-Marsette was also signed in a separate transaction.

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Panthers announce waiver claims for 6 players on Wednesday

The Panthers officially announced their claims for six players on Wednesday.

Yes, guys. It’s official. It’s confirmed. The deals are sealed.

Following yesterday’s cutdowns to this season’s initial 53-man rosters, the Carolina Panthers announced waiver claims for six players on Wednesday afternoon. The group features former Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Keenan Isaac, former New York Jets cornerback Shemar Bartholomew, former Washington Commanders cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields, former Seattle Seahawks linebackers Jamie Sheriff and Jon Rhattigan and former San Francisco 49ers offensive lineman Jarrett Kingston.

Carolina’s fresh trio of cornerbacks is headlined by Isaac, who had a standout preseason for the divisional rival Bucs. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound defensive back earned a 90.2 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus over his three exhibition outings on the summer.

To make room for the claims, the Panthers also announced the departures of six players from their initial 53-man roster—wide receivers Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Jalen Coker, offensive lineman Cade Mays, defensive lineman Jayden Peevy, cornerback D’Shawn Jamison and safety Demani Richardson.

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Initial 53-man roster projection for the 2024 Panthers

Here is our final projection for the Panthers’ initial 2024 53-man roster:

Now that the preseason is officially in the books, the Carolina Panthers have another task to tackle—the big cutdown.

Between now and 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, the Panthers and the rest of the NFL’s 31 teams must get down to their initial 53-player rosters.

Here is our final projection for Carolina’s initial 53:

Quarterbacks (2)

In: Bryce Young, Andy Dalton
Out: Jack Plummer

Plummer impressed in the summer finale, completing 21 of his 29 passes for 278 yards and two touchdowns. But that still won’t be enough to devote a third spot on the roster to a quarterback.

Running backs (4)

In: Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders, Raheem Blackshear, Mike Boone
Out: Jaden Shirden
Reserve/NFI list: Jonathon Brooks

Boone has benefitted from the inactivity of both Blackshear and Brooks, who isn’t expected back for at least a handful of weeks into the regular season. And luckily for the former, his successful track record as a kick returner keeps him around.

Wide receivers (6)

In: Diontae Johnson, Adam Thielen, Xavier Legette, Jonathan Mingo, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, David Moore
Out: Terrace Marshall Jr., Michael Strachan, Jalen Coker, Sam Pinckney

The sixth and final spot came down to Marshall Jr. and Moore. Moore’s experience on special teams and his previous history with head coach Dave Canales in both Seattle and Tampa Bay give him the edge.

Tight ends (4)

In: Tommy Tremble, Ian Thomas, Ja’Tavion Sanders, Jordan Matthews
Out: Feleipe Franks, Jacob Hollister, Jesper Horsted

Matthews earned his spot with a spectacular summer. The 32-year-old opened the preseason with a team-high 48 receiving yards in New England and ended it with a touchdown to kick off the last outing in Buffalo.

Offensive linemen (9)

In: Ikem Ekwonu, Damien Lewis, Austin Corbett, Robert Hunt, Taylor Moton, Brady Christensen, Yosh Nijman, Cade Mays, Chandler Zavala
Out: Ricky Lee, Jeremiah Crawford, Mason Brooks, Andrew Raym, Jack Anderson, Ike Boettger, Tyler Smith

Given that he’s the only true center on the roster, Raym has a shot to stick on. But the versatility of backups such as Nijman, Christensen and Mays allows the Panthers to keep the number of hog mollies at nine.

Defensive linemen (5)

In: Derrick Brown, A’Shawn Robinson, Shy Tuttle, Nick Thurman, LaBryan Ray
Out: Jaden Crumedy, T.J. Smith, Ulomoo Ale, Jayden Peevy, Walter Palmore, Junior Aho

Crumedy, the team’s sixth-round selection from this spring, could be in trouble while dealing a high-ankle sprain. So could Smith, who’d be a favorite to sneak back on as a practice squad member after recording a pair of sacks this preseason.

Outside linebackers (5)

In: Jadeveon Clowney, K’Lavon Chaisson, DJ Johnson, Eku Leota, Luiji Vilain
Out: Cam Gill, Derrick McLendon, Kenny Dyson
Reserve/Physically unable to perform list: D.J. Wonnum, Amaré Barno

Vilain and Gill could be battling for the fifth locker. But if it actually doesn’t go to either, look for the Panthers to pick up a pass rusher off the street.

Inside linebackers (4)

In: Shaq Thompson, Josey Jewell, Trevin Wallace, Claudin Cherelus
Out: Chandler Wooten, Tae Davis, Aaron Beasley

Canales does not take special teams prowess for granted. Cherelus and Wooten could claim spots with theirs.

Cornerbacks (6)

In: Jaycee Horn, Michael Jackson, Troy Hill, Chau Smith-Wade, Dicaprio Bootle, D’Shawn Jamison
Out: Willie Drew, Chris Wilcox, Quandre Mosely
Injured: Dane Jackson

The “significant” hamstring injury to Jackson (Dane, that is) could force the Panthers to keep a few outside options—including both Bootle and Jamison.

Safeties (5)

In: Xavier Woods, Jordan Fuller, Nick Scott, Jammie Robinson, Alex Cook
Out: Demani Richardson, Rudy Ford
Injured: Sam Franklin Jr.

As Canales has stated, there’s no replacing Franklin Jr.—who will be out for quite a bit while healing up a broken foot. Cook, however, could give the Panthers a little bit back on special teams.

Specialists (3)

In: Eddy Piñeiro, Johnny Hekker, JJ Jansen

Well, nothing to see here.

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Panthers 2024 draft pick to miss time with high-ankle sprain

Panthers HC Dave Canales provided a few injury updates following Thursday night’s preseason opener.

The Carolina Panthers’ preseason opener, which resulted in a 17-3 loss to the New England Patriots on Thursday night, also resulted in a few injuries.

Head coach Dave Canales provided some updates on the setbacks this afternoon, following the team’s first practice since the exhibition outing. He started with second-year offensive lineman Cade Mays.

“Cade had a shoulder—an AC sprain,” Canales said. “So that’ll be a couple of weeks for us to get him back out there.”

Mays played 28 offensive snaps in the contest, one where the Panthers were already low on frontline depth. He recorded 25 of those snaps at center and three at right guard.

Canales then addressed the status of rookie defensive lineman Jaden Crumedy.

“And then Crumedy—that was a high-ankle sprain,” he added. “I’m not sure the exact timetable there. I’ll be able to get you more information on that.”

Crumedy was selected in the sixth round of the 2024 draft.

Prior to the start of today’s session, the Panthers signed defensive lineman Jayden Peevy, who spent much of the 2023 season on the team’s practice squad.

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