Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Here are 22 names from this weekend’s Divisional Round action that Panthers fans may recognize
While the Carolina Panthers are busy trying to find a new power duo, quite a few of their former players are right in the middle of playoff action.
Here are 22 ex-Panthers who are gearing up for this year’s Divisional Round games:
The Texans have signed former Panthers WR Damiere Byrd to their practice squad.
Damiere Byrd has finally found a landing spot following his second departure from Charlotte.
The former Carolina Panthers wide receiver officially signed with the Houston Texans on Wednesday. He will join the team’s practice squad as they head into their Divisional Round matchup against the No. 1-seeded Baltimore Ravens this weekend.
Byrd first joined the Panthers back in 2015, as an undrafted free agent out of the University of South Carolina. His first stint with the organization lasted for three seasons, a run that saw him reel in 12 receptions for 129 yards and a a pair of touchdowns over 17 games.
He’d move on to four different teams over the next four years, picking up stops with the Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears and Atlanta Falcons between 2019 and 2022.
The 30-year-old speedster rejoined the Panthers on a one-year deal this past spring. Byrd would then be released in late August after sustaining a hamstring injury.
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The Falcons have released WR Damiere Byrd from their 16-man practice squad
Falcons wide receiver Damiere Byrd has been released from the practice squad, the team announced on Wednesday afternoon. Byrd was signed back in October and later elevated to the 53-man roster for Atlanta’s Week 9 matchup against the Vikings.
Falcons have released WR Damiere Byrd from the practice squad.
— Scott Bair (@ScottBairNFL) November 22, 2023
Byrd, 30, spent the entire 2022 season with the Falcons before signing with the Carolina Panthers over the offseason. Atlanta now has one vacancy on the team’s 16-man practice squad, so expect a corresponding move over the next day at some point.
Check out the Falcons’ Wednesday injury report, updated depth chart and our latest mock draft heading into Week 12.
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The #Falcons signed WR Damiere Byrd to their 16-man practice squad on Thursday
The Atlanta Falcons have brought back a familiar face, signing wide receiver Damiere Byrd to their 16-man practice squad on Thursday afternoon, the team announced.
In a corresponding move, the Falcons placed WR Keilahn Harris on the practice squad injured reserve list, per team reporter Tori McElhaney.
The Falcons have signed WR Damiere Byrd to the practice squad. Keilahn Harris has been placed on practice squad IR.
— Tori McElhaney (@tori_mcelhaney) October 19, 2023
Byrd, 30, appeared in 14 games for the Falcons last season, finishing with the fourth-most receiving yards (268) on the team and two touchdowns on 13 receptions.
The veteran wideout signed with the Panthers during the 2023 offseason but was placed on the injured reserve list due to a hamstring injury. Byrd was later released with an injury settlement by Carolina in August.
The New York Giants worked out seven players on Monday, including quarterbacks Matt Barkley and Ian Book.
The New York Giants held workouts in East Rutherford on Monday, just as they do every week throughout the regular season.
Among those who attended were quarterbacks Matt Barkley and Ian Book, along with wide receiver Damiere Byrd.
The presence of Barkley and Book obviously raised eyebrows given that Giants quarterback Daniel Jones missed a Week 6 game due to a neck injury. During the broadcast, it was revealed that Jones was feeling discomfort down into his shoulder.
That news immediately set off a flurry of speculation with some Internet doctors postulating that Jones either needs surgery or may be dealing with a long-term issue. Of course, none of that is confirmed and there are reports circulating that the Giants are optimistic Jones returns against the Washington Commanders this Sunday.
Given that the Giants regularly work out positional groups, it’s possible that Barkley and Book being in attendance is merely a coincidence.
The 33-year-old Barkley was a fourth-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2013 NFL draft. He quickly became a journeyman, making stops with nine different teams over his 11-year career, including two stints with the Buffalo Bills.
The 25-year-old Book was a fourth-round pick of the New Orleans Saints in 2021. He also played for the Eagles and spent a week on the New England Patriots practice squad earlier this year.
Byrd, 30, signed with the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2015. He has appeared in 75 career games.
In addition to those three players, the Giants also worked out wide receivers Jalen Camp and Kyric McGowan, running back Hassan Hall, and tight end Eric Saubert.
None of the players were immediately signed by the Giants.
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Former Panthers WR Damiere Byrd probably wasn’t shocked when his former boss picked up his former teammate on Thursday.
Former Carolina Panthers wide receiver Damiere Byrd is also former New England Patriots wide receiver Damiere Byrd. So, he knows a thing or two about Bill Belichick.
Byrd, in fact, had a feeling that the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach was going to claim an old teammate of his . . .
I knew Bill was gonna claim Corral 😂
— Damiere Byrd (@LookIn_Da_Miere) August 31, 2023
On Thursday, the Patriots hit up the waiver wire to claim Corral—who was let go by the Panthers the previous afternoon. And even despite waiving the 24-year-old quarterback, both head coach Frank Reich and general manager Scott Fitterer were hoping to get him back in the building.
Alas, Belichick did the Belichick thing and swooped in on the player he helped get to Carolina in the first place. The Panthers’ trade-up for the Ole Miss star in the 2022 draft was facilitated by New England, who gave up the 94th overall pick in exchange for 137th selection and a 2023 third-rounder.
Fast forward just over a year later and the Patriots have every single part of that deal—Corral, Bailey Zappe and linebacker Marte Mapu. And Byrd, who probably wasn’t the only one who sensed the move, apparently knew it all along.
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The Panthers have released WR Damiere Byrd with an injury settlement.
Damiere Byrd’s second flight in Charlotte has come to an end.
As reported by Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston on Friday afternoon, the Carolina Panthers have officially reached an injury settlement with the 30-year-old wideout. This now releases Byrd from the injured reserve list, making him a free agent.
Byrd sustained what head coach Frank Reich described as a “significant” hamstring injury during training camp. He was placed on IR on Aug. 16, clearing way for the team to then sign defensive back Collin Duncan.
The well-documented speedster first joined the Panthers as an undrafted free agent out of the University of South Carolina in 2015. He’d go on to spend his first three NFL seasons in Carolina, reeling in 12 receptions for 129 yards and a a pair of touchdowns over 17 games.
His next four years resulted in four different stops—with the Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons. He returned to the organization on a one-year deal this past spring.
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Even with the uncertainty surrounding the hamstring injury to DJ Chark, Panthers HC Frank Reich said he doesn’t anticipate any big moves at the WR position.
Plenty of Carolina Panthers were missing from practice this afternoon, just two days ahead of their preseason finale against the Detroit Lions. And while most of those absences were seemingly no big deal, there’s one that’s sticking out like a sore thumb—or, in this instance, a leg.
When asked about the status of wide receiver DJ Chark following the session, head coach Frank Reich declined to provide any details. A team spokesman would, however, report a hamstring injury for the the 26-year-old.
Chark, who signed a one-year, $5 million deal with the Panthers this spring, came into Carolina with quite an extensive injury history. He has yet to play a full season in his five-year NFL career, most recently having missed six games in 2022 due to an ankle injury.
Regardless of what may or may not be another extensive setback, Reich said he doesn’t see the team making any “big” additions at the position.
“Not anticipating any big moves at this point,” he said. “But we’ll continue to evaluate that day by day.”
The Panthers are also currently without Terrace Marshall Jr. (back) and Damiere Byrd (hamstring), who was placed on injured reserve.
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As announced on Wednesday, the Panthers have placed WR Damiere Byrd on injured reserve. DB Collin Duncan will take his place on the roster.
The Carolina Panthers have just signed a new face. But the bigger news, perhaps, is what they had to do to make room for him.
As announced on Wednesday afternoon, the team has added defensive back Collin Duncan. In the corresponding room to free up a roster spot, the Panthers placed wideout Damiere Byrd on the injured reserve list.
Byrd sustained what head coach Frank Reich described as a “significant” hamstring injury back in training camp. Reich initially told reporters that he did not believe the setback was a season-ending development, but one closer to a timeline of about six to eight weeks.
Carolina brought back Byrd, who spent the first four years of his NFL career with the organization, on a one-year deal this spring. The speedy 5-foot-9, 175-pounder was expected to compete for the team’s return duties.
Barring an injury settlement, Byrd’s 2023 campaign is over.
As for the fresh addition, Duncan comes over after having spent time with the Los Angeles Rams this offseason. As the Panthers deal with a few injuries to their cornerback room, the Mississippi State product will serve as some needed depth for Friday’s preseason matchup against the New York Giants.
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Panthers WR Damiere Byrd could be out six to eight weeks with what HC Frank Reich described as a “significant” hamstring injury.
A sparkling summer has come to an end for Carolina Panthers receiver Damiere Byrd.
Following Tuesday’s outing of training camp, head coach Frank Reich confirmed Byrd’s hamstring injury—which was reported on by Joe Person of The Athletic after the wideout’s absence on Sunday. The update was not a particularly encouraging one.
“Damiere’s hamstring is pretty significant. It’s pretty significant,” he said. “It’s gonna be a while. Could require a procedure. So, we’re continuin’ to get him evaluated—which is a shame because he was lookin’ really good. Obviously, he’s put himself in good position, but this was an unfortunate injury.”
Reich then tried to put a timeframe on Byrd’s recovery.
“It’s not season-ending, but it’s significant,” he added. “Like, it’s more than a month. It’s more six, eight weeks—they’re talkin’ more something in that timeframe.”
Byrd, one of the favorites for the punt return job, signed back with the Panthers on a one-year deal this spring.
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