Tag: Derrick Brown

Panthers sign 2 players to active roster, 2 to practice squad on Tuesday

The Panthers made a series of moves on Tuesday.

The Carolina Panthers made a series of moves on Tuesday.

In addition to placing Pro Bowl defensive lineman Derrick Brown on the season-ending injured reserve, the team signed two players to their active roster and two to their practice squad.

Joining the former group is running back Mike Boone and cornerback Lonnie Johnson, both of whom were elevated from the practice squad for this past Sunday’s regular-season opener. Boone and Johnson played primarily on special teams, with Boone getting four rushing attempts in the late stages of the 47-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints.

Their newly-vacated spots on the practice squad will be filled by defensive lineman DeShawn Williams and cornerback Azizi Hearn. Williams spent the 2023 season with the Panthers—starting in 10 of his 16 outings.

To help make room on the active roster for their additions, the Panthers waived outside linebacker Jamie Sheriff—one of the six players claimed by the team following initial roster cutdowns a few weeks ago. Sheriff was also one of just four outside linebackers on the active roster.

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Panthers place DL Derrick Brown on season-ending injured reserve

The Panthers ended Derrick Brown’s season on Tuesday.

The Carolina Panthers, amidst the shambles of a disastrous regular-season opener, will have to continue to find out exactly who they are. And unfortunately, they’ll have to do it without their best player.

As announced this afternoon, the team has officially placed defensive lineman Derrick Brown on injured reserve. The fifth-year defender, who will now miss the remainder of the 2024 campaign, sustained a knee injury during Carolina’s 47-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

Head coach Dave Canales, who told reporters on Monday that the setback is likely a torn meniscus, talked about the void that’ll be left behind by Brown.

“Yeah, definitely a huge loss,” Canales said. “He’s one of our best players. That’s big shoes to fill. But at the same time—we get players in there, I want them to know and be encouraged. Like, if you go in there and you play with great technique and you just do your job, we don’t need you to make the special plays that Derrick makes. Just do your job.”

Brown set a new NFL single-season record in 2023 for most tackles by a defensive lineman (103). His efforts earned him his first career Pro Bowl selection.

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Panthers HC Dave Canales talks about losing DT Derrick Brown to injury

Replacing Pro Bowler Derrick Brown will be no easy task for Dave Canales and the Panthers.

There’s only one Derrick Brown. And unfortunately for the Carolina Panthers, it seems as though they won’t be having him for quite some time.

On Monday morning, NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero was first with the news of Brown’s knee injury—one that could potentially end his 2024 campaign. The setback is just the latest pill to swallow from yesterday’s horrendous season-opening performance, where the Panthers took a thorough 37-point beating courtesy of the New Orleans Saints.

Head coach Dave Canales spoke with reporters this afternoon and confirmed the injury, stating that Brown will seek a second opinion before moving forward. Canales was also asked about who will have to step up in Brown’s place.

“Yeah, so, we got [Jayden] Peevy up. We have LaBryan Ray on the roster, who’s looked stronger and stronger,” he said. “The next guy’s gotta pop up there and we’re counting on all those guys—Nick Thurman, as well—we’re counting on all those guys to play with great fundamentals and to just do their job, do their part.”

Brown did a lot of parts last year, setting an NFL single-season record for most tackles by a defensive lineman (103). The first-time Pro Bowler hardly left the field during his historic showing, playing in 89.1 percent of Carolina’s defensive snaps in 2023.

Despite sustaining a meniscus tear some time during Sunday’s game, Brown had plenty of work in Week 1 as well—accounting for a 90.9-percent presence in the 47-10 defeat. Canales said Brown and the team have been unable to pinpoint exactly when the injury occurred.

Nonetheless, they’ll have to keep their season moving—even if it’s without big No. 95.

“Yeah, definitely a huge loss,” Canales later added. “He’s one of our best players. That’s big shoes to fill. But at the same time—we get players in there, I want them to know and be encouraged. Like, if you go in there and you play with great technique and you just do your job, we don’t need you to make the special plays that Derrick makes. Just do your job.”

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Panthers fans react to devastating news of Derrick Brown’s knee injury

Being a Carolina Panthers fan isn’t easy right now.

Things can’t get any worse for the Carolina Panthers, right? Right?

Well, they did on Monday morning—less than 24 hours after what may have been the most embarrassing season-opening performance in franchise history.

As if losing by 37 points to the New Orleans Saints wasn’t enough, the team may have also lost their best player for the rest of 2024—defensive tackle Derrick Brown. The Pro Bowler, per NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, sustained a “potentially season-ending” knee injury during the defeat, a setback that will require surgery on the 26-year-old’s meniscus.

Brown is coming off his best pro campaign, one in which he set an NFL single-season record for most tackles by a defensive lineman (103). His efforts not only earned him the first all-star nod of his career, but also helped him secure a four-year, $96 million extension from the organization earlier this offseason.

And, understandably so, Panthers fans are continuing to feel the hurt of this nightmarish start . . .

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Report: Panthers DT Derrick Brown sustained ‘potentially season-ending’ knee injury in Week 1

The Panthers may be living through a nightmare already.

The Carolina Panthers have seemingly been living through a nightmare in Week 1.

According to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, defensive tackle Derrick Brown sustained a ‘potentially season-ending’ knee injury in Sunday’s 47-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints. Pelissero notes that the Pro Bowl defender will need surgery on his meniscus, which will then determine the timetable for recovery.

Brown is fresh off signing a four-year, $96 million extension with the Panthers this offseason. That pact was earned, in part, due to his historic 2023 campaign—where he set a new NFL single-season record for tackles by a defensive lineman (103).

The 26-year-old was expected to have a larger presence as a pass rusher in 2024. Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero had the following to say about Brown just last week:

“In my opinion, arguably the best run player in the NFL. And, like I said earlier, the pressures were there, he affects the quarterback. He’s a hard man to block—run or pass, one-on-one. But at the end of the day, we wanna translate those into more sack production. I think this guy can get eight to 10 sacks this season.”

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Biggest takeaways from Panthers’ Week 1 loss to Saints

This wasn’t a day to remember for Dave Canales, Bryce Young and the rest of the Panthers.

The Carolina Panthers just put out one of the most embarrassing season debuts in recent memory—falling to New Orleans Saints in a 47-10 defeat on Sunday.

Head coach Dave Canales and company were smashed from the get-go—seeing the Saints score a long touchdown on their opening possession and their offense immediately give up the rock on theirs. What followed was a thorough beating, one that accounted for the largest season-opening victory in New Orleans franchise history.

So as we try to pick up the pieces of the heavy loss moving forward, let’s go over the three biggest takeaways from the outing . . .

Preseason repetitions matter

Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Panthers got off to about as bad of a start as you could draw up, being outmuscled in every phase and finishing the first half down 30-3. Their only productive series in the first 30 minutes came close to the break, as the offense put up the first points in nearly 10 quarters of regular-season play dating back to last season.

Quite simply, it was hard to watch this team. So, it may be relevant to remember how Canales played his starters for one drive this preseason.

Preseason repetitions for starters help with continuity and execution on a down-to-down basis. This is a new-look team with a first-year head coach and plenty of additions on both sides of the ball.

There was a lack of execution, ball security and discipline. Most of this, not all, may have been avoided with more playing time in the summer.

To be fair, Canales’ decision to rest the starters the first two weeks was due to injuries to their depth. Even so, it could have been beneficial if the established talent on the team received that repetition.

Simply put, Carolina looked unprepared against the Saints and it’s more than fair to correlate this to lack of preseason snaps.

Bryce Young had a no good, very bad day

Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Could we have imagined a worse 2024 debut for Young?

In what may have been the most disappointing performance of his NFL career, the second-year quarterback completed just 13 of his 30 passes for 161 yards and a pair of awful interceptions. He looked overwhelmed for most of the day and was sacked four times—including three times by cornerback Alontae Taylor.

Young needed a steady Week 1 performance to instill some optimism moving forward. Instead, he was jittery with overthrown passes and misfires.

The makings of a consistent offense are there. Rookie receiver Xavier Legette looked to have added an extra element, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him overtake Jonathan Mingo in snaps for next week’s home opener. Canales’ play designs were good for the most part—but the lack of execution was glaring.

Young is a quarterback who will likely need everything to work around him to display his talents. This is not a bad outlook—as all quarterbacks, and even some of the best, have specific needs to succeed. But this is a crucial year in his evaluation as a pro, and it’s off to a terrible start.

Run defense is the biggest issue heading into Week 2

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

While Young will likely be the most highlighted lowlight from Sunday’s blowout loss, the biggest bust was the Panthers’ run defense.

A run unit that was supposed to look better on paper may have proven to be even worse than last season, allowing 180 yards on the ground. The line was consistently blown off the ball and driven off the line of scrimmage—which is unacceptable for defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.

Evero is known for being a run-first coordinator. The fact that it’s his worst area thus far says a lot about the talent around Pro Bowl lineman Derrick Brown as a player, who admittedly had one of his worst games in quite some time.

In a bit of good news for the unit, the pass defense included a few gems. Cornerback Mike Jackson, who was acquired from Seattle a few weeks ago, made great tackles in space when coming downhill in coverage. Second-year edge rusher Eku Leota had three tackles for a loss, including the team’s lone sack—showing he may be the No. 2 pass rusher opposite of Jadeveon Clowney.

Yet, the Panthers must figure out how to stop the bleeding in the run game. It may come down to running more five-man defensive fronts while sacrificing some players in coverage. 

It might not be solved next week. But if Evero can find a way in the coming matchups to limit the damage in the run game, it will help keep this team in weeks down the stretch.

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Panthers DC Ejiro Evero thinks DT Derrick Brown can get ‘8 to 10 sacks’ this season

Panthers DC Ejiro Evero believes DT Derrick Brown is an underrated pass rusher.

The Carolina Panthers are looking for more sacks this season—and some could come from a powerful, but unlikely source.

Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero spoke with reporters on Thursday morning, just hours before their penultimate practice for Week 1. And with so many questions about their lack of presence off the edge, he brought up defensive tackle Derrick Brown as a possible purveyor of the pass rush.

“Derrick is very underrated as a rusher,” Evero said. “I think if you really go back and watch the tape in the pass downs, he’s affecting the quarterback. It’s a challenge for all of us and I know he’s taking it very likely that he wants to transition those more into sacks.”

Brown is coming off one of the most productive campaigns by a defensive lineman in league history, as he amassed a new single-season record of 103 tackles at the position. The first-time Pro Bowler, per Pro Football Focus, also led all defensive lineman this past year in stops (53).

But the numbers didn’t really show up in the pass-rushing department—for both him and the rest of the Carolina defense. Brown, who has never really been a sack artist at the pro level, got to the opposing quarterback just twice while the Panthers notched a league-low 27 takedowns.

Evero, however, believes the 6-foot-5, 320-pounder has the juice to fill that column up.

“In my opinion, arguably the best run player in the NFL,” he continued about Brown. “And, like I said earlier, the pressures were there, he affects the quarterback. He’s a hard man to block—run or pass, one-on-one. But at the end of the day, we wanna translate those into more sack production. I think this guy can get eight to 10 sacks this season.”

Brown enters 2024 with 8.0 career sacks over four NFL seasons.

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Panthers name 4 team captains for 2024 season

Democracy was in action for the Carolina Panthers when it came to determining this year’s captains.

The Carolina Panthers officially announced their team captains for the 2024 campaign on Wednesday.

Quarterback Bryce Young, defensive lineman Derrick Brown, linebacker Shaq Thompson and safety/special teams ace Sam Franklin Jr. will wear the ‘C’ on their jerseys this season. Head coach Dave Canales, who previously stated that he wanted one representative for each of the game’s three phases, was asked about Brown and Thompson both getting the honor on defense.

“The people spoke,” Canales replied with a smile following this afternoon’s practice. “And there was a lot of votes for both guys, and I just said, ‘Great, that’s fantastic.’ That’s exactly what we want is for guys to identify that leadership, the people that stand for what we’re about here, our play style, playing with great effort, great enthusiasm, toughness, playing smart and finish.

“These are guys that finish everything they do. So I love that they chose the guys they did because they really exemplify what we’re looking for from our team.”

Brown and Franklin Jr. are first-time captains, with Thompson earning the duty for the fifth time. Young has now received the nod for the second time in as many seasons.

Canales added that the team will also have a rotational captain during the year.

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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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Derrick Brown: We have to prove we’re not the ‘old sorry [expletive] Panthers’

Derrick Brown expanded on his belief that this isn’t the same Panthers team we’ve seen in recent years.

Derrick Brown believes this season will allow the Carolina Panthers an opportunity to prove that they’re not the same old Carolina Panthers.

Well, “same old” is kind of putting it mildly—as the fifth-year defensive tackle had this to say in an interview with Gabe McDonald of Charlotte Sports Live this past Wednesday . . .

Brown, who has yet to experience a winning season as a Panther, was asked about that very comment following the third practice of training camp this morning.

“I think it started the first day we reported for OTAs,” he said of the team’s mindset on improving. “I think the tone was set by Coach [Dave] Canales and Coach E [Ejiro Evero]. We’re gonna do the things, we’re gonna have a way and we’re gonna live and abide by that way. Nobody’s resisted that, everybody’s bought in.

“And for us to be able to go out there and change the reputation . . . you don’t wanna be ranked the 32nd team out of 32 teams, in no way possible. For us to go out here and be an actual contender and be able to compete—that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Carolina ranked 32nd out of the 32 NFL teams this past season in the most important category—wins. Their 2-15 record not only tied matched a franchise record of 15 losses, but was also tied for the worst 17-game finish in league history.

Brown’s status entering 2024 will be quite different, as he’s earned his first Pro Bowl selection as well as a massive four-year, $96 million extension since playing his last down. So hopefully for him, the status of the lowly Panthers is also on the rise.

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