Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
New Panthers LB Damien Wilson has a cousin in Carolina’s scouting department. Oh, and he used to be an NFL RB.
The Carolina Panthers have had themselves quite a sound offseason thus far. And part of their harmonious retooling has seen a bevy of fresh faces added to the roster.
So, in helping you get to know the new guys a little bit better, we’ll give you four interesting facts about each free-agent signing the Panthers have made.
Today, linebacker Damien Wilson takes the stage.
The #Chiefs had an interest in bringing back LB Damien Wilson before he signed with the #Panthers per report.
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The Kansas City Chiefs had an interest in bringing back a player who won Super Bowl LIV with the team before he ended up signing elsewhere.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Chiefs had expressed an interest in bringing LB Damien Wilson back to Kansas City, but he ended up signing a two-year deal worth $6.9 million with the Carolina Panthers. Wilson played for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021 and had a career season, posting 106 total tackles, five tackles for loss, three sacks, five passes defended and an interception. In fact, he performed so well that he earned a compensatory pick for his old team.
Wilson spent two years with the Chiefs from 2019 to 2020, starting in a total of 35 games. That includes the postseason and starts in both Super Bowl LIV and Super Bowl LV.
Panthers announced Damien Wilson signing. Chiefs had interest in bringing Wilson back after he had a career year in Jacksonville.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 17, 2022
Bringing Wilson back was probably a hard sell for the Chiefs given the fact that they’ve got two studs at the linebacker position who are going to be taking the majority of the snaps. Wilson is likely to be a starting in Carolina alongside Shaq Thompson.
While Kansas City didn’t land this player it gives you an idea that they are looking to add another piece to their linebacker room. The team currently has three players under contract at the position with Nick Bolton, Willie Gay Jr. and Darius Harris. The linebacker market still has quite a few players left on it including Bobby Wagner, Kyzir White, Rashaan Evans, and Jayon Brown. It’s entirely possible that they could still be poking around that market as free agency continues in order to add a piece that supplements their current LB corps.
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The Panthers have a glaring need at MLB and Damien Wilson could be the guy to help address it.
There’s a particular high-profile position that the Carolina Panthers may or may not address with a high-profile player in the coming hours. But that didn’t stop them from trying to fill out another position of need on Thursday.
According to NFL Network reporter Mike Garafolo, the Panthers are signing linebacker Damien Wilson to a two-year deal.
LB Damien Wilson to the #Panthers on two-year deal, per his agents at @SPORTSTARSNYC. Coming off a 106-tackle, three-sack season with the #Jaguars.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 17, 2022
The seven-year veteran is fresh off a standout campaign with the Jacksonville Jaguars—where he amassed career-highs in tackles (106), sacks (3.0), quarterback hits (five) and passes defensed (five). Prior to his 2021 stop in Duval, the 28-year-old spent four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys from 2015 to 2018, then two more in 2019 and 2020 with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Barring another move at the spot, Wilson may very well be the favorite to start at middle linebacker for the Carolina defense in 2022. Last year’s starter, Jermaine Carter Jr., turned in a relatively disappointing season and is currently an unrestricted free agent.
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Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke said he hasn’t shut the door on a possible return for linebacker Damien Wilson.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are examining their options for a potential linebacker opposite of Foye Oluokun after they released linebacker Myles Jack on Tuesday. Oluokun is a new player for Jacksonville’s linebacker room after it signed the former Atlanta Falcon on Monday to kick off free agency.
One option is Damien Wilson who suited up for the Jaguars last season and is currently a free agent. However, on Wednesday, Jags general manager Trent Baalke said it was a possible chance for Wilson to return.
“Damien is a guy we’d like to have back,” he said on Wednesday, according to Gene Frenette of the Florida Times-Union. “We’re still in communication with him. That door has not been shut.”
He signed a one-year deal with the Jaguars last offseason after spending the past six with the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys. Wilson recorded 106 tackles, three sacks, one forced fumble, and an interception.
Baalke and head coach Doug Pederson are searching for a player to pair with Oluokun in their defense; however, they are in a cap space crunch. Over The Cap projects that the Jaguars have only about $13.9 million left in cap space with only five of their seven new free agents included and need to leave enough money for the players they select in the NFL Draft next month.
With their cap space bind, Wilson may be a cost-friendly option for the Jaguars.
Wilson forced the seventh interception of the season from Carson Wentz, setting up a touchdown drive to put the Jags up three scores.
Jacksonville’s defense has stepped up big-time in the final game of the season, rendering a solid Indianapolis offense almost entirely ineffective. They have also now forced two turnovers on the game including an interception from quarterback Carson Wentz, who has done a good job taking care of the ball this season.
Wentz tried to find tight end Mo Alie-Cox on a corner route, but linebacker Damien Wilson did a good job trailing the route. Wentz hesitated on the throw, causing him to miss his window as Wilson jumped the route with ease, forcing just the seventh pick on the season from Wentz, and returned it one yard to the Indianapolis 45-yard line.
COWBOYS LEGEND DAMIEN WILSON https://t.co/pkz8hJGtVY pic.twitter.com/tDzfIDP61Z
— Burgers and Blitzes (@NotToBeTrite) January 9, 2022
The Jags almost had another interception on the prior drive when safety Daniel Thomas jumped to snag a tipped ball on 3rd and 19, but he double-clutched it and it was ruled incomplete, instead.
Wilson’s pick set up a six-play scoring drive, which quarterback Trevor Lawrence capped off with a wild play. After a high snap, he made the save, rolled to his right and found Marvin Jones Jr. in the back of the end zone, who made an excellent catch.
Trevor Lawrence to Marvin Jones!!!!
The Jacksonville @Jaguars lead 23-3!
📺: #INDvsJAX on CBS
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/KupABFhnfM— NFL (@NFL) January 9, 2022
It marked the first multi-passing touchdown game of the season for Lawrence since Week 1 against Houston, in which he threw three touchdowns.
The score gave the Jaguars a 23-3 lead heading into the fourth quarter of this one, and they now have a chance to spoil a potential playoff berth for the Colts, though a win could impact their draft positioning, depending on the outcome of the Detroit-Green Bay game.
The Jags only had two players to surface in the status column of Week 13’s final injury report, but it’s two key contributors.
The Jacksonville Jaguars had two players surface in the status column of their final injury report for Week 13. As expected, one of those players was cornerback Shaquill Griffin (concussion) and the other was running back James Robinson (heel, knee).
The former was ruled OUT for the second consecutive week, while the latter was ruled questionable. However, the good news is that both were limited Friday, so it could be a good sign for Robinson’s status on Sunday and Griffin’s for Week 14.
Several other starters were upgraded on the injury report, too. Linebackers Myles Jack (knee) and Damien Wilson (ankle), and cornerback Tyson Campbell (shoulder) were all upgraded to full participation. Additionally, defensive linemen DaVon Hamilton (knee) and Malcom Brown (toe) were also upgraded to limited participation after not practicing on Thursday.
As for the Los Angeles Rams’ injury report, there were several notable from offense on it. Offensive lineman Rob Havenstein (foot) was a late addition and didn’t practice Friday. Meanwhile, running back Darrell Henderson (thigh) and receiver Odell Beckham (hip) were limited on Friday. All three aforementioned players were ruled questionable on the final injury report and more can be found on their situations on the Rams Wire.
The Jags had on change to the injury report as LB Damien Wilson seems to be trending in the right direction.
The Jacksonville Jaguars had just one change to their injury report Thursday and that change occurred for inside linebacker Damien Wilson. The veteran, who didn’t practice Wednesday with an ankle injury, was upgraded to limited participation on the team’s second injury report of the week.
Wilson’s change in status could be a good sign as he left Sunday’s game against Atlanta early and was questionable to return. As a result, he was one of six defensive starters on the initial injury report, but he at least seems to be trending in the right direction as the Jags prepare for a hungry Los Angeles Rams offense.
The status for the biggest notable on the injury report, Shaquill Griffin, remained unchanged as the veteran didn’t practice again due to a concussion he sustained Week 11 against San Francisco. He missed Sunday’s game against Atlanta as a result, and veteran Nevin Lawson started in his place.
Having Griffin back would be huge for the team (especially with his familiarity with the Rams), but if he can’t go, it would put the Jags in an iffy situation as the Rams have capable receivers like Odell Beckham and Van Jefferson on the perimeter.
As for the other starters to surface on the injury report, starting defensive lineman DaVon Hamilton (knee) and Malcom Brown (toe) missed their second consecutive days. Needless to say, being without both would be extremely concerning for the Jags’ defense and Friday could be a big day for both in terms of their chances to play.
As for linebacker Myles Jack, he’s surfaced on the injury report with a knee injury for several weeks now, but his situation isn’t as worrisome as he’s ended up playing each week despite missing dates before the final injury report.
Lastly, the other two notables worth mentioning on the injury report were cornerback Tyson Campbell and running back James Robinson. Both were limited for the second consecutive time this week, but they followed the same pattern last week. Ultimately, they both were full participants last Friday and they could end up with the same status this week, so neither player seems to be big concerns at the moment.
Andrew Norwell led the way, and he continues to be the strength of the offensive line without Brandon Linder.
There certainly are not many ways to positively spin Jacksonville’s loss to Seattle. Coming off a bye, the team looked lost on defense and incredibly sloppy on offense. That’s not an encouraging sign at all, but this game wasn’t entirely devoid of positives, at least when it comes to individual performers.
Several players had very solid games, headlined by guard Andrew Norwell, who was the Jags’ highest-graded player, per Pro Football Focus, in Week 8. He earned an 87.7 grade, and he continues to be one of the few bright spots on the team.
He was followed by another offensive lineman in Ben Bartch, who graded at 77.8. Bartch is only playing in place of the injured A.J. Cann, but he’s been capable and would give the Jaguars some security for the future if it chose to move on from Cann.
The third player on the list came as a bit of a surprise, as he only appeared on 17 snaps and wasn’t even targeted in the passing game. But tight end Chris Manhertz is known for his blocking acumen, and he finished with a 76.6 grade because of it.
Just behind Manhertz is the highest-rated defensive player, linebacker Damien Wilson (76.0). He had some help with Myles Jack back at his side, but he had the more impressive performance on Sunday, per PFF. He finished second on the team in tackles with eight, behind Jack.
Next up is receiver Jamal Agnew (71.9), who finished behind tight end Dan Arnold and running back Carlos Hyde in receiving with six catches for 38 yards and a touchdown. He was mostly signed for his returning abilities, but he has stepped up in DJ Chark Jr.’s absence and is playing well at receiver.
Following Agnew is another player who didn’t see many snaps but made the most of them. Edge rusher Jihad Ward (71.5) has arguably been better than K’Lavon Chaisson this season, and despite only totaling one tackle on 18 snaps, PFF liked his play on Sunday.
Finally, we have Jack, who led the team in tackles with nine in his return to the field but didn’t grade as highly as his counterpart Wilson. Still, Jack had a 71.1 grade, and the Jaguars should be pleased to have one of their top players on defense back in the fold.
Other than Norwell, no one in this group had an elite performance, but there was still some solid play hidden deep within a disaster of a game.
Wilson said that Lawrence is “jumping off the tape.”
There’s no greater advantage in the NFL than having an elite quarterback. It can mask roster deficiencies and balance issues, and it makes a team an immediate contender. The Jaguars hope they have just that in Trevor Lawrence.
It’s been an up and down start to Lawrence’s career. He has six touchdowns and eight interceptions on the season, and he’s completing less than 60% of his passes. But he’s also made some phenomenal plays and demonstrated a level of talent at the quarterback position that Jacksonville hasn’t really ever had.
Linebacker Damien Wilson goes up against Lawrence in practice every single day, and on Wednesday, he said he’s impressed with what he’s seen so far.
“He’s really been jumping off the tape of late,” Wilson said.
Wilson, who spent the last two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and stud quarterback Patrick Mahomes, said that he sees some of the same characteristics in Lawrence.
“You never think you’re out of a game,” Wilson said. “We were down every playoff game we had (during a run to winning the Super Bowl following the 2019 season) and we came back and won them all – Super Bowl included. Trevor … he’s starting to give that sense a little.
“I knew it would be a matter of experience. The more games he gets under his belt, the better he’s going to get. His ceiling is very, very high.”
The Jaguars sit at 0-5 currently, but with Lawrence improving, it’s hard to imagine this team won’t be able to capture its first win sooner rather than later. This week’s matchup in London (where the Jags have found some success) against a struggling Miami Dolphins team presents as good an opportunity as any.
It sounds like the Jags’ staff like what they’ve seen out of Jacksonville native, Shaq Quarterman, in training camp. He may even be a name to watch for a starting role.
Jacksonville made a potentially risky decision during the preseason when it traded projected starting middle linebacker Joe Schobert to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a sixth-round pick. The return for a starting-caliber player wasn’t great, but it allowed the Jaguars to ditch a pricey deal on a player that the coaching staff didn’t think was a great fit in the defensive scheme.
Without him, Jacksonville will largely turn to Damien Wilson, a free-agent acquisition who started for Kansas City last season, and Shaq Quarterman, a second-year player who appeared in 12 games last season but had a limited impact, totaling only six tackles.
Defensive coordinator Joe Cullen had positive things to say about the play of both in the preseason opener against Cleveland.
“Well, we have got Damien [Wilson] who’s been a two-year starter with Kansas City at MIKE linebacker,” Cullen said. “And then we drafted Shaq [Shaquille Quarterman] a year ago and there wasn’t much tape to evaluate him other than college, he didn’t play much. But the thing that we saw from him and the thing that we some from those young linebackers is speed, downhill thump in terms of knocking the run out. Damien, that’s his strength. And you know, obviously, it was a decision, we moved forward and [we wish] the best for both the organization and Joe, he’s going to Pittsburgh. So, I think when you saw 50 the other night, [Shaquille Quarterman], he was flying around hitting people.”
Quarterman’s impact was indeed noticeable against the Browns, as he finished tied for second on the team in tackles with four. It has been expected that Damien Wilson, who is considered a better fit than Schobert in Cullen’s defense given his run-stopping ability, would win the starting job, but Quarterman may not go away quietly.
Cullen even said his previous team, Baltimore, considered selecting him in the 2020 class.
“Well, we looked at [Quarterman] when we were in Baltimore and we liked him in Baltimore and [we] just like his plus-two mentality, his physicality, and he’s got one speed and that’s a plus-two, 100 miles an hour,” Cullen said.
The battle for the starting inside linebacker job next to Myles Jack will likely continue on throughout the preseason and possibly into the regular season, but it seems the Jacksonville staff is pleased with the talent at the position even after trading away a projected starter.
