Tag: Carolina Panthers

Panthers place OT Greg Little on IR, activate WR Chris Hogan

It had been a couple of weeks since the Carolina Panthers had put anybody on injured reserve, so they were overdue.

It had been a couple of weeks since the Carolina Panthers had put anybody on injured reserve, so they were overdue. The streak ended with today’s announcement that rookie offensive tackle Greg Little has been placed on IR and wide receiver Chris Hogan has been activated to the 53-man roster.

Little was the team’s second-round draft pick this year and the Panthers had high hopes he would become their franchise left tackle. We’ll have to pencil him in for an ‘incomplete’ grade for his rookie year since he missed so much time due to injury. Little sat out a long portion of the season in the concussion protocol and it ends early due to an ankle injury.

In the meantime, the team will continue developing sixth-round pick Dennis Daley at left tackle. He has had some strong games but needs to show more consistency from week to week.

As for Hogan, he probably won’t make much of an impact on offense given the unit’s deep-rooted problems. He’s the No. 4 receiver on the depth chart and only caught three passes for 24 yards in his first four games of 2019. One area he could make a difference is on special teams. Hogan has experience as a punt returner and the Panthers are once again in need of another after waiving Greg Dortch for the second time this year.

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Panthers say safety Eric Reid is now questionable vs. Seahawks

According to the team, safety Eric Reid is now considered questionable for Sunday’s game due to an illness.

The Panthers may have to go without another key piece in tomorrow’s matchup with the Seahawks. According to the team, safety Eric Reid is now considered questionable for Sunday’s game due to an illness.

Reid has played every game for Carolina so far this season. He’s totaled a career high 106 combined tackles to go with six pass breakups.

While he’s done well defending the run, Reid has struggled in coverage at times. Heading into Week 15, Pro Football Focus has him graded out at 50.6, which is the lowest of any starter on defense.

The Panthers don’t have much safety depth to speak of, which is one of the reasons they should consider drafting one come April. If Reid can’t go, we may see special teams contributor Colin Jones stepping in to take a large portion of his snaps. Ross Cockrell can also fill in at safety.

In related news, Greg Olsen, Greg Little and Marquis Haynes have already been ruled out.

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2020 NFL draft: 5 positions the Panthers need to address

With the 2019 season basically over, it’s time to start looking ahead to April and the 2020 NFL draft.

With the 2019 season basically over, it’s time to start looking ahead to April and the 2020 NFL draft.

Free agency will obviously dictate some of these moves, but here are a few positions the Panthers need to address in this coming draft class.

Defensive back

Kristian Fulton
(Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

James Bradberry and Ross Cockrell are both going to become free agents in March and Donte Jackson has struggled in his second season, so cornerback is a major position of need for Carolina. They should definitely target one in the early rounds, perhaps even the first. Safety is also a potential need with Tre Boston hitting the open market and plenty of room for improvement from that unit. Expect a lot of focus on LSU prospects in the coming months, with corner Kristian Fulton and safety Grant Delpit both linked to Carolina in mock drafts.

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Jadeveon Clowney (illness) downgraded to out for Week 15

Seattle Seahawks defensive end Jadeveon Clowney is sick with the flu and will not play in Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers.

Seattle Seahawks defensive end Jadeveon Clowney has been downgraded to out for Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers, but his recent core muscle injury is not the culprit.

Instead, a bout with the flu bug that was going around Seattle’s locker room last week seems to have finally caught up with Clowney, who missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday with flu like symptoms.

Clowney was able to practice on Friday, but apparently his illness (and possibly his core injury) were too much for the Seahawks to feel comfortable suiting him up this week.

“He’s still getting back,” Carroll said on Friday. “He was out here with us today and all. He’s recovering still. He’s been pretty sick.”

David Moore, Tre Flowers and Tyler Lockett were among those afflicted with the flu last week, although all three managed to make it back in time to play against the Rams in Los Angeles.

Carroll had hoped Clowney would follow the same path, but he admitted, “it hasn’t been a good week for him at all.”

The Seahawks will be without Clowney’s ability as a run-stuffer and a pass-rusher this week against a Panthers offense that, even without Cam Newton, still has plenty of weapons to play spoiler against Seattle in a crucial Week 15 matchup.

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Shaquem Griffin just getting into rhythm as pass rusher

Seattle Seahawks edge rusher Shaquem Griffin is just getting started as a pass rusher, despite immediate results.

The Seattle Seahawks decided a few weeks ago to unleash Shaquem Griffin, who at the time was contributing only on the special teams, as an edge rusher in pass rushing situations.

The results have been excellent, as Griffin’s speed off the edge and experience getting to the quarterback from his time at UCF have made him a formidable presence on the defensive side of the ball.

Griffin has racked up three quarterback hits in his limited role off the edge in the last four games, and according to teammates, he’s only just getting started.

“When he got to the league and you saw him pass rush for the first time, you knew he had the ability to do that,” linebacker Bobby Wagner said of Griffin on Thursday. “We had him off the ball for a while, and the moment he got back to being on the ball, you see the potential that he has. He’s so quick, and he’s able to get around people, and he’s able to use his speed to get to the quarterback. I think he’s just getting into his rhythm. It’s going to be fun to see what he does.”

Griffin excelled as a pass rusher in college, but his lack of size is what kept him on the special teams and as a backup outside linebacker for the first 1.5 years of his NFL career.

Eventually though, his work in practice and the relative lack of pass rush the rest of the team was generating gave Pete Carroll the idea to let him try rushing in games, and while he hasn’t posted huge numbers it is evident he has given this unit a much-needed boost down the stretch.

Griffin will be counted on again on Sunday, when the Seahawks take on the Panthers in North Carolina starting at 10:00 a.m. PT.

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Panthers injury updates: Greg Olsen, 2 others ruled out vs. Seahawks

Panthers injury updates: Greg Olsen, 2 others ruled out vs. Seahawks

Panthers tight end Greg Olsen is still in the concussion protocol and will miss his second straight game on Sunday against the Seahawks. He’s one of three players who have been ruled out. The others are rookie offensive tackle Greg Little and defensive end Marquis Haynes.

Olsen took a bad shot to the head in the loss to Washington a couple weeks ago. He is making progress, though. After not practicing at all last week, Olsen was a limited participant, so there’s a chance we could see him back on the field Week 16. For now, the Panthers will continue rolling with Ian Thomas at tight end. Thomas had a breakout game against Atlanta, posting 57 yards and a touchdown.

Little is sitting out his third straight week with an ankle injury. He also missed five games earlier in the season due to a concussion. Sixth-round pick Dennis Daley has had his moments, but he’s also clearly still a work in progress. Expect Daley to keep playing the left tackle spot.

Haynes is dealing with a knee issue. With him ruled out, it’s possible we’ll get a chance to see more of fourth-round pick Christian Miller.

In related news, Mario Addison is listed as questionable with a chest injury, but he is expected to play. Offensive lineman Garrett McGhin in doubtful after being a late addition to the injury report on Friday. He was limited with an ankle problem.

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Russell Wilson: Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett is 100% ready to roll

After battling a leg injury and an illness, Seattle Seahawks quarterback believes his wide receiver, Tyler Lockett, is finally ready to roll.

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has been without the full assistance of No. 1 wide receiver Tyler Lockett over the last couple of games as the wideout first battled a leg injury and then the illness that had spread throughout Seattle’s locker room.

“Tyler is a huge part of our offense,” Wilson told reporters Thursday. “We want to get him going throughout the game and just get him the football. He’s such a special player. You definitely notice him on the field when he’s making those plays.”

Lockett has only logged five receptions over his last three outings but with the playoff push a huge factor, he remains critical to the Seahawks’ game plan going forward.

“Yeah, I think Tyler’s ready to roll – 100%,” Wilson said. “He looks fresh and ready to play some great football. We got a three-game push right here. One game at a time. We’re looking forward to that opportunity. Everything that we want is ahead of us. We’re 10-3. There’s no time for ‘woe is me’ or anything like that. We’re ready to roll and we’re looking forward to the opportunity of finding ways to win and getting to the playoffs hopefully and hopefully go a long way.”

Lockett was a full participant in Thursday’s practice but still remains listed on the report with a shin injury.

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Experts all picking Seahawks over Panthers for Week 15 matchup

The experts don’t seem quite clear on what to expect in Sunday’s game between the Panthers and the Falcons.

There’s no way around it. The Panthers look like one of the worst teams in the NFL right now. Winning against anybody – let alone a legitimate conference contender like the Seahawks – seems like a tall order. It sounds like the experts around the web agree.

Here’s who they are picking for this Week 15 matchup.

ESPN: Seahawks

Nobody at ESPN has any faith in Carolina. All 10 of their panelists are predicting a Seahawks win.

CBS Sports: Seahawks

Likewise, all eight of the experts at CBS are picking Seattle.

SB Nation: Seahawks

Everybody at SB Nation except the dog is also on team Seahawks.

NFL.com: Seahawks

Gregg Rosenthal doesn’t think it’s going to be close. He has Seattle covering the spread and then some, winning 30-20.

USA Today: Seahawks

Allen seven of USA Today’s national NFL writers are predicting a Seattle win.

Pro Football Focus: Seahawks

This may come as a shock, but everyone at PFF is also picking the Seahawks.

We don’t see any reason to disagree. Carolina couldn’t even beat a pathetic Washington team at home a couple weeks ago. This appears to be a broken team. Until that changes, we can’t pick them. Seahawks 37, Panthers 24.

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Jonathan Stewart says Lamar Jackson has ‘MVP on lock’

This year, second-year Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is the biggest surprise in the league, hands down.

Like any great show, each NFL season has unexpected twists that usually very few people see coming.

This year, second-year Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is the biggest surprise in the league, hands down. With only a couple weeks left to go in the season, Jackson is virtually guaranteed to win the MVP award. Former Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart says he has it on lock.

One could make a case that Russell Wilson deserves at least a few votes. Anyone but Jackson winning the award would be a farce, though.

Last night, Jackson broke Michael Vick’s record for the most rushing yards in a single season by a quarterback and it wasn’t even close to the most impressive thing he did.

This seemingly effortless 33-yard dime to Seth Roberts is a fine example of a play that Jackson has somehow made look routine this season.

In the end, Jackson threw five touchdown passes on just 23 attempts. It’s no fluke, either. For the season, Jackson is throwing touchdowns on a completely insane 8.9% of his passes.

After the game, Jackson was rightfully treated like football royalty. Several Jets players lined up to collect autographed jerseys from No. 8.

What a scene.

As for the Panthers, like the rest of the NFL they should be watching what the Ravens are doing closely. While there’s only one Lamar Jackson, there are ways they can capitalize on Baltimore’s success and try to copy it. If nothing else, Carolina should be considering making a run at offensive coordinator Greg Roman, who deserves a lot of credit for helping Jackson make a stunning second-year leap.

This isn’t the first time Roman has gotten great results from a mobile quarterback, either. He also got the best out of Colin Kaepernick when he was the offensive coordinator for Jim Harbaugh’s 49ers. Even at his best, Kaepernick never reached the heights that a healthy Cam Newton has, though.

Norv Turner has performed relatively well running the offense these last couple of seasons. However, drastic changes are needed to break this team out of its sustained run of mediocrity. Pairing a truly innovative play-caller like Roman with Newton might make more of a difference than any one player the Panthers could sign this offseason.

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