Tag: Carolina Panthers

2020 NFL Draft: Trade values for every pick this year

Here is a look at every pick in the current draft order, along with their trade values.

The Panthers picked up an extra fifth-round draft pick by trading backup quarterback Kyle Allen to Washington a couple weeks ago. Now, they’re going into the 2020 NFL draft armed with eight picks.

Here is a look at every pick in the current draft order, along with their trade values.

Trading down for more draft capital is always smart, but it’s particularly true this year for Carolina. The team has lost seven defensive starters already this offseason as well as their top two guards. If Isaiah Simmons or Jeff Okudah are no longer on the board at No. 7, dealing down in the first round will be a good place to start.

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Panthers 2020 NFL mock draft: The home stretch edition

Here’s how our latest seven-round mock draft played out.

The 2020 NFL draft is now just two and a half weeks away. It will come as a welcome distraction for sports fans who have been denied the joy that live competition brings over the last several weeks.

We have gone through a number of different mock draft scenarios so far and to be perfectly honest we’re running out of ideas, so this might be our last mock of 2020. The strategy here was to hit as many roster holes as possible with some prospects who haven’t been connected to the Panthers much. Here’s how our latest seven-round mock draft played out.

No. 7: Louisville OT Mekhi Becton

Mekhi Becton
Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports

Yes, Russell Okung will be starting at left tackle for Carolina this year. However, first-round draft picks should be all about the future. Once Okung is gone, the team will be back to square one with no proven starter on the blind side. Becton (6-foot-7, 368 pounds) is arguably this year’s top offensive tackle prospect. He wins with a potent blend of power, smoothness and reach and also has experience at right tackle, offering plus versatility.

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2020 NFL mock draft: Panthers pick LSU offensive lineman in third round

2020 NFL mock draft: Panthers pick LSU offensive lineman Damien Lewis at No. 69 overall.

The 2020 NFL draft is deep at cornerback and there are a few blue-chip defensive prospects the Panthers should have their eye on. However, at some point they’re going to need to address the big hole in the interior of their offensive line. With Greg Van Roten going to the Jets, the team needs to find a starting-level replacement at left guard.

When they do, it should come as no surprise if they pick a prospect who has previous experience with offensive coordinator Joe Brady. In the third round of Luke Easterling’s latest 2020 mock draft, the Panthers pick LSU’s Damien Lewis at No. 69 overall.

Lewis (6-foot-2, 329 pounds) is part of an absolutely loaded Tigers draft class. He has a thick build and a whole lot of power. He’ll need to work on his awareness in pass sets, but there’s plenty of potential there and he could thrive in the right scheme.

One potential problem is that in college Lewis played right guard and John Miller will be taking over for Trai Turner at that spot. Transitioning to the other side of center might add a bit to his pro learning curve. His familiarity with Brady should mitigate at least some of that awkwardness, though.

Let’s take a look at his LSU tape.

Lewis vs. Alabama

Lewis vs. Texas

Lewis vs. Auburn

If the Panthers aren’t sold on Lewis, they might try to target LSU center Lloyd Cushenberry instead. The problem there is that he probably won’t be on the board by the time they pick at No. 38 overall in round two. Unless they trade down from No. 7 (they should) he’ll likely be out of their range.

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Sean Payton reacts to latest spin of the NFC South quarterbacks carousel

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton has seen many quarterbacks visit the NFC South, but Tom Brady and Teddy Bridgewater are new challenges.

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A lot of quarterbacks have tried to knock off Sean Payton’s New Orleans Saints teams over the years, but few of them have enjoyed much success or staying power. That includes two first-overall draft picks who ended up on the street this offseason, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers deciding against a reunion with Jameis Winston and the Carolina Panthers jettisoning Cam Newton.

In their place are two passers that Saints fans are intimately familiar with: Tom Brady and Teddy Bridgewater. Brady has been one of the NFL’s public faces, sticking around as an aging rival to Drew Brees in the record books and an almost-annual Super Bowl participant. Bridgewater backed up Brees and even took the wheel of the Saints offense for a stretch last season.

Both quarterbacks are familiar to Payton. While he’s planning to prepare for games against them as he would any other passers, he’s taken a unique approach to each of their landings in the NFC South through free agency.

Payton told ESPN’s Mike Greenberg during an appearance on the “Get Up!” morning show that he anticipates a team-wide culture change in Tampa Bay following Brady’s arrival, saying, “The thing that is most troubling is you just know he’s going to raise the bar relative to how that team then performs. We were on a text not too long ago and I finished my text back to him with hashtag ‘keep the canons quiet.’

“He kind of chuckled and I think that’s the one thing he’ll bring in such a unique way is his competitive fire. All those things that’ll elevate the play of the whole organization,” Payton added.

But what about Bridgewater, Payton’s former protege? The 27-year-old inked a three-year, $63 million contract extension and expects to start for the Panthers under Matt Rhule, in his first year as an NFL head coach. And Payton couldn’t be happier for Bridgewater to get that opportunity. The Saints coach spoke about the Bridgewater-Panthers union during an interview on The Rich Eisen Show.

“I’m thrilled for him,” Payton began. “We’ve communicated a little bit, man what a great story. And another great person. Just having a chance to be around him, we’ve had one of the better quarterback rooms that you could ever envision with Drew, Teddy, and with Taysom. Those guys were outstanding together, they all had a good sense of humor. And they could all laugh at themselves.

“I think that’s an important trait in any industry. That humility, if you will, to make fun of yourself and still stay confident. And Teddy’s gonna have that opportunity in Carolina. I’m thrilled for him, and again it’s that double-edged sword where you’re excited for him. You just wish it was in another division.”

And of course, Payton also congratulated Bridgewater from his official Twitter account when the Panthers announced he’d formally put pen to paper:

Whether Brady or Bridgewater will succeed where their predecessors failed is up in the air. It’ll certainly be interesting to see how they adapt to new situations, surrounded by unfamiliar teammates and coaching staffs that are still trying to find their footing. But Payton’s going to do all he can to make sure his Saints are ready.

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3 candidates for Dolphins trade up to draft an offensive tackle

3 candidates for Dolphins trade up to draft an offensive tackle

If the Miami Dolphins have their way, they’re probably leaving the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft with a quarterback and an offensive tackle before anything else comes along. The Dolphins’ two most pressing needs are clear. Fortunately for Miami, the team is going to be in position to secure a quarterback, no questions asked. The fine print is yet to be determined, but Miami should have a crack at either Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert or both with the 5th overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.

As for offensive tackle? Miami will likely get a chance to draft Houston’s Josh Jones with the 18th overall selection, but what happens if the team wants one of this year’s “big four” offensive tackles? Ask any draftnik or analyst and they’ll tell you the top four offensive tackles this year are some ordering of the following four players:

Georgia’s Andrew Thomas
Alabama’s Jedrick Wills
Louisville’s Mekhi Becton
Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs

If the Dolphins wanted one of these four, staying at 18 and getting the job looks like an increasing distant pipe dream. So who might be open for business? And how many of the top tackles might be at their disposal if that were indeed the case?

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers pick 7th and as a team that is kicking off a rebuilding project of their own, they’re looking at needing plenty of draft picks to help kickstart their own reclamation project. If the Panthers are serious about a long-term rebuild, adding future picks (and more volume of picks) would certainly be a viable option. The Dolphins could tap into their own reserve of picks to help move the Panthers down the board.

How many top tackles would be left? Potentially all of them. The two biggest threats for an early offensive tackle pick are the Giants (rumored to be leaning to Clemson LB Isaiah Simmons) and the Chargers (who also need a long-term quarterback).

Cleveland Browns

The Browns pick 10th and have their own need at offensive tackle. But if this team is able to swing a deal for veteran tackle Trent Williams, who they were interested in ahead of the 2019 trade deadline, then this frees Cleveland up to move back a bit, replace the pick they’ve traded for Williams and go after a safety.

How many top tackles would be left for Miami? Possibly three. The Panthers, if they choose to stay put, seem like a logical landing spot. So, too, do the Arizona Cardinals at 8.

San Francisco 49ers

If the Dolphins aren’t able to work into the top ten picks, San Francisco is the best candidate in the teens. It puts the Dolphins ahead of a “win now” Tampa Bay team, who picks 14th and will be looking to build around Tom Brady. The 49ers need picks desperately, they go 125 selections without a pick between 31 and 156.

How many tackles would be left for Miami? Probably just one. The Chargers, Panthers, Cardinals, Browns and Jets won’t all take tackles — but we’re likely to see the tackles get hot between picks 7-11.

Robby Anderson: Teddy Bridgewater signing ‘icing on the cake’ for joining Panthers

However, Anderson says signing quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was the icing on the cake for his decision.

Robby Anderson was one of the first potential free agent targets we profiled for the Panthers this year. It looked like an obvious fit for a number of reasons, including his history playing for head coach Matt Rhule and the team’s need for another speed threat at wide receiver.

It seems that Anderson felt the same way. Speaking with the media in another Zoom conference call on Friday, Anderson said that he always liked Carolina’s colors and admitted he wanted to play for Rhule. However, Anderson says signing quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was the icing on the cake for his decision.

Anderson also has history with Bridgewater. While they weren’t on the field together, both were on the Jets’ roster in 2018 – at least until Bridgewater was traded to the Saints just before the season began.

The dynamic between these two will be critical for the success of the Panthers’ passing attack.

While Bridgewater is never going to be known as a gunslinger like Brett Favre or Patrick Mahomes, he will occasionally hit targets 20 or more yards down the field. We saw it several times last season when he smoked the Buccaneers for four touchdowns and 314 yards in Week 5.

Anderson is one of the game’s premiere deep threats, so if Bridgewater can get the long ball going with him it can open up the field for the other weapons that Marty Hurney has stockpiled.

On that front, Anderson thinks he will be a strong fit. He believes he’s a perfect complement for Christian McCaffrey, whose jersey he wore during the video conference. Anderson called McCaffrey the best back in the NFL.

There’s a good chance the defense is going to be a work in progress, but if the Panthers improve their pass protection the 2020 offense has a chance to be something special.

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2020 NFL draft: Panthers FaceTime with Minnesota CB prospect

2020 NFL draft: Panthers FaceTime with Minnesota CB prospect

Donte Jackson is currently the best cornerback on the Panthers roster. Considering that he got benched near the end of the 2019 season, that’s a pretty sad state of affairs.

To recap, the team’s former No. 1 corner James Bradberry has already signed a three-year deal with the Giants and both Ross Cockrell and Javien Elliott are now free agents. That leaves Carolina extremely thin at one of the most critical defensive positions in today’s game.

The good news is that the 2020 draft class is arguably deeper at corner than any other spot, so teams should be able to land impact players even on Day 3.

According to Justin Melo at Draft Wire, the team recently held a pre-draft FaceTime meeting with Minnesota’s Chris Williamson. He’s had similar meetings with the Bills (of course), Cardinals and Vikings.

Williamson is not Minnesota’s top defensive back prospect this year. That distinction belongs to former Pro Bowl Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield’s son, who might just be the best safety in his class.

Williamson could still be a valuable addition for several teams around the league, though. His college numbers can give you an idea of his versatility. Over the last two seasons, he’s posted one interception, seven pass breakups, 7.5 tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a touchdown.

Let’s take a look at his 2019 highlights to get to know his game better.

There are a lot of cornerback prospects ranked ahead of him, so Williamson (six-foot, 205 pounds) is likely to be either a late-round draft pick or a college free agent signing.

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Watch: Panthers K Graham Gano is a paper football field goal master

Watch: Panthers kicker Graham Gano is a paper football field goal master.

What do you do when you’re quarantined and have already streamed practically every show on Netflix? If you’re Panthers kicker Graham Gano, you show off your paper football skills.

Watch Gano connect on 12 field goal attempts in just 30 seconds, followed by a challenge to Tre Boston and Efe Obada.

Ridiculous.

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2020 NFL draft prospect profile: Alabama DB Xavier McKinney

Let’s take a look at a 2020 defensive prospect who can do all of the above, Alabama’s Xavier McKinney.

The Panthers have made a couple of solid moves in the secondary this offseason, re-signing Tre Boston to a three-year deal and adding Juston Burris. However, the team also released strong safety Eric Reid and still clearly needs to improve their depth and versatility on the back end of the defense.

Let’s take a look at a promising 2020 NFL draft prospect who can help, Alabama’s Xavier McKinney.

Scouting Report:
McKinney measured in at six-foot, 201 pounds at the NFL combine. He turned in a 4.63 second 40-yard dash, 19 reps on the bench press, a 36 inch vertical and a 122 inch broad jump.

On the field, the things that stick out most about McKinney are his tremendous tackling ability, instincts and his motor. He uses his thick frame to punish and lay the lumber down on ball carriers. This past season, he posted 95 tackles and four forced fumbles. The fact that McKinney was able to put up those numbers lining up at safety is incredible and it speaks to how versatile he is. He can play single high, up in the box, nickel corner and even some off-ball linebacker. The other traits that help him make plays are his instincts and ability to read a QB’s eyes in zone coverage. McKinney is also solid in man coverage and has tremendous hip fluidity considering his build. Alabama often asked him to cover tight ends and slot receivers and he proved he was up to the challenge.

McKinney’s game does not have many weak spots. He is an extremely well-rounded player who presents a ton of versatility for any NFL defense. Because of his brilliant tackling ability and instincts in short/intermediate zone coverage, McKinney will make a Week 1 impact wherever he lands.

Highlights:

McKinney vs. LSU

McKinney vs. South Carolina

McKinney vs. Auburn

Fit with Panthers:
If the Panthers trade back to the mid-late first round to stockpile more picks, they should definitely be looking at McKinney. Trading down means that they are guaranteed to miss out on Clemson’s do-it-all linebacker Isaiah Simmons, but McKinney is another strong defensive prospect with tremendous versatility who should be available later.

McKinney would fit into Phil Snow’s defense as he can matchup and cover tight ends while lined up at safety or linebacker, play as a third safety in cover 3, or be used as an effective blitzer. This would be a very safe pick.

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Brandon Beane says Bills’ Josh Norman has ‘something to prove’

On a video call Brandon Beane talks about the addition of Josh Norman and says he has something to prove.

The Buffalo Bills first free agency move this offseason was to sign cornerback Josh Norman to a one-year, $6 million deal. The contract raised some eyebrows across the NFL landscape due to Norman’s age, 32, and his play with the Washington Redskins the past two seasons.

Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane justified the acquisition while talking to reporters on Thursday via video call. While slightly admitting there might be some understandable questions, Beane said Norman has a bit of a chip on his shoulder.

“We don’t think the system Josh Norman played in Washington played to his strengths… he’ll bring an edge to our defense and I think he’s got something to prove,” Beane said.

Norman has a connection to both Beane and head coach Sean McDermott, with Norman being a 2012 fifth-round selection during their time in Carolina together. His best years came when McDermott was his defensive coordinator, tallying seven interceptions over four seasons together. In 2015, Norman rose to All-Pro status, earning those honors, but it ushered in his exit from the Panthers. In a strange twist rarely seen, Carolina franchise tagged him and when a long-term deal couldn’t be reached, the Panthers opted to remove the tag, making Norman a free agent. He went onto the Redskins where he started well, but his play in recent seasons fell off.

Because of that, the Bills will hope Norman may see a resurgence in his career under his old defensive coordinator. Giving the likes of Levi Wallace and EJ Gaines, there’s extra competition to play opposite star cornerback Tre’Davious White. Buffalo’s No. 2 cornerback position will likely be up for grabs, even with those others, the Bills might hope that helps Norman.

With his previous two spots, Norman was relied upon as the top cornerback. With the Bills, that’s going to be White. Less pressure, more production? That’s Beane’s hope.

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