Tag: Donte Jackson

Steelers HC Mike Tomlin looking for a leap from young CBs

The Steelers have some quality young cornerbacks on the roster.

The offseason has been busy for the Pittsburgh Steelers in an attempt to turn over a solid chunk of the roster. One position where there were plenty of changes is at cornerback. Out are Patrick Peterson, Levi Wallace, Chandon Sullivan and Elijah Riley.

But as we’ve already pointed out, the Steelers might have enough cornerbacks on the roster already and don’t need to target one early in the 2024 NFL draft. Two guys in particular we are excited to see are Cory Trice Jr. and Darius Rush.

On Monday, head coach Mike Tomlin talked about those two guys and said he expected a significant step for them in their second seasons.

“They’re going into their second year,” Tomlin said. “We expect guys going into their second year to make a significant step.”

If the Steelers have confidence in Trice and Rush, in addition to new cornerback Donte Jackson, they might not need to spend a top pick on a starter or even a slot cornerback.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

2024 NFL draft: Steelers hosting speedy CB for Top 30 visit

The Steelers traded for Donte Jackson but still need more help at cornerback.

According to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson, the Pittsburgh Steelers will host former Rutgers cornerback Max Melton for a Top 30 predraft visit.

The Steelers added cornerback Donte Jackson in the trade that sent top wide receiver Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers. He should be a solid outside starter to pair up with Joey Porter Jr. Nevertheless, another top cornerback is needed, whether in the slot or boundary.

Melton is a natural slot cornerback but isn’t limited to just that. He is a long strider with good length and lots of closing speed. Melton also has exceptional ball skills and does a great job tracking the football in the air. The only real downside of Melton’s game as far as the Steelers go is his struggles in defending the run.

Melton projects as a late second, early third-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft. His skills in many other draft classes would warrant him being selected higher but this class is very deep and talented.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Is Dane Jackson the favorite to be Panthers’ CB2 in 2024?

The Athletic’s Joe Person believes the Panthers will give free-agent signee Dane Jackson a chance to win the CB2 job this season.

When it comes to who will start opposite of Jaycee Horn in the Carolina Panthers secondary this season, the answer may already be on the roster.

All things considered, president of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan set his Panthers up quite nicely during the transition from free agency to the 2024 draft. The front office filled a handful of pressing needs—signing guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis, trading for former Pro Bowl wideout Diontae Johnson and convincing pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney to come home—in allowing them to pick the best players available later this month.

But what about the cornerback position? Not only did Carolina ship off a longtime starter in Donte Jackson, but they also added just one player to the mix—Dane Jackson.

But according to Joe Person of The Athletic, Jackson may be all the Panthers need to fill the CB2 spot. In his latest seven-round mock draft, Person notes that the team will give the free-agent signee “a chance to win” the starting spot.

That may not be a shock considering Morgan’s history with Jackson, whom he “pounded the table for” a few years back. While serving as the director of player personnel for the Buffalo Bills, Morgan pushed for the selection of the Pittsburgh corner in the seventh round of the 2020 draft.

Since then, Jackson has recorded 28 starts over his 52 NFL outings.

Other than Jackson, the current depth chart has a handful of more inexperienced options for the outside. Discounting Troy Hill—who will man the nickel—the Panthers could look to D’Shawn Jamison, Dicaprio Bootle and Lamar Jackson.

[lawrence-related id=694431,694988,694952]

Steelers dodge expensive bullet with CB L’Jarius Sneed

The Steelers got their new starting cornerback without having to break the bank.

One of the NFL players many fans and pundits targeted for the Pittsburgh Steelers was Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. The Chiefs made it no secret the talented cornerback was on the trading block due in large part to his contract demands as he was going to play on the franchise tag in 2024.

Thankfully, the Steelers didn’t want to be strapped with yet another huge contract on the most expensive defensive in the league and instead, the Tennessee Titans worked a deal for Sneed and are paying him big time.

The Titans sent a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL and will swap seventh-round picks in 2024 for Sneed. A more-than-fair trade. But it’s the contract that Tennessee is reportedly giving him that would have surely scared off the Steelers if they even had any interest. Four years and $55 million guaranteed with a total value of somewhere in the vicinity of $76 million is steep.

Pittsburgh didn’t sit around and do nothing. They traded wide receiver Diontae Johnson for cornerback Donte Jackson giving them a starting outside cornerback to pair up with Joey Porter Jr. and did it for far less investment.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Panthers CB Jaycee Horn after eventful start to free agency: ‘Ima miss my dawgs’

Panthers CB Jaycee Horn is feeling the effects of a painful start to free agency.

Carolina Panthers president of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan may on the hunt for some dawgs right now, but he’s still lost a few in the process.

On Monday, the home locker room over at Bank of America Stadium picked up a few very painful vacancies. After we learned that the Panthers were planning to part ways with safety Vonn Bell, they fell short in trying to retain linebacker Frankie Luvu and then traded two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Brian Burns to the New York Giants.

The losses hit quite hard for many involved with the organization, including starting cornerback Jaycee Horn . . .

Horn wasn’t the only player to feel the effects of the eventful day. Longtime Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson posted, in a since deleted tweet, a similar sentiment—stating that it was a “sad day.”

Along with Bell, Luvu and Burns, the Panthers defense is also expected to be without corner Donte Jackson in 2024. All four were starters for the unit this past season.

[lawrence-related id=692852,692836,692799]

Panthers LB Shaq Thompson: ‘It’s a sad day’

Shaq Thompson summed up a pretty rough day for Panthers fans.

Shaq Thompson was all of us on Monday.

The opening of this year’s legal tampering period brought some punishing blows for the Carolina Panthers and their fans. We started the eventful and exhausting afternoon by taking the expected release of safety Vonn Bell on the chin and went on to eat two gut punches with the loss of linebacker Frankie Luvu and the trade of pass rusher Brian Burns.

With the defense losing three key members, one of its leaders tweeted this in the painful aftermath:

 

Thompson then went on to see another fellow backer in Yetur Gross-Matos find a new home, as he reportedly has a two-year, $18 million deal in place with the San Francisco 49ers. The dearly departed will also include tight end Hayden Hurst, center Bradley Bozeman and cornerback Donte Jackson—all of whom are expected to be let go before March 16.

Sadly enough, the second-longest tenured Panther may be next. Thompson, who turns 30 years old in April, is entering the final season of a reworked pact.

[lawrence-related id=692836,692821,692799]

Panthers reportedly releasing S Vonn Bell

Per NFL Network, the Panthers are planning to release S Vonn Bell.

Vonn Bell’s stint with the Carolina Panthers may have already come to an end.

As first reported by NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero on Monday, the team is planning to release the 29-year-old safety. Bell signed a three-year, $22.5 million deal with the Panthers last spring.

The only season that pact saw through resulted in 13 games for the veteran defender—who amassed 69 combined tackles, one interception, two passes defensed and one quarterback hit. By Pro Football Focus’ standards, he was good enough for an overall defensive grade of 63.9—the lowest since his rookie campaign back in 2016.

With the Panthers moving on to their latest regime under new general manager Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales, Bell is the latest player the team is deciding to cut ties with. Carolina is also reportedly parting ways with tight end Hayden Hurst, center Bradley Bozeman and cornerback Donte Jackson.

Bell was due a $3 million roster bonus on March 16.

[lawrence-related id=692743,692690,692686]

Panthers reportedly restructuring TE Ian Thomas’ contract

The legend of Ian Thomas may be living on in Carolina.

The legend of Ian Thomas will live on.

According to Joseph Person of The Athletic, the Carolina Panthers are restructuring Thomas’ contract—a move that will keep the 27-year-old tight end on the roster moving forward. 2024 would mark his seventh season with the organization.

Thomas, an Indiana University product, was selected by the Panthers in the fourth round of the 2018 draft. He’s appeared in 94 of a possible 99 games since—having amassed 116 receptions for 1,055 yards and four touchdowns.

Carolina re-signed Thomas on a three-year, $16.9 million deal in February of 2022. As he did in the second season of that pact in 2023, Thomas will likely be taking a pay cut to stick around for the 2024 campaign.

If he does indeed last into the season, Thomas will have played under four different full-time head coaches in Carolina (Ron Rivera, Matt Rhule, Frank Reich and Dave Canales).

The Panthers, additionally, are expected to part ways with a number of fellow veterans including tight end Hayden Hurst, center Bradley Bozeman and cornerback Donte Jackson.

[lawrence-related id=692673,692678,692648]

Panthers reportedly planning to release Bradley Bozeman

Per NFL Network, the Panthers are expected to release C Bradley Bozeman.

Well, so much for competition.

According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, the Carolina Panthers are expected to release center Bradley Bozeman at the start of the new league year. Bozeman, who has spent the past two seasons in Charlotte, signed a three-year, $18 million extension with the organization last spring.

The possibility of this departure became a bit real this past week, when Joe Person of The Athletic reported that the team was looking to add another center into the mix. Person wrote the following on Thursday:

With Taylor Moton entrenched at right tackle and Dave Canales and Dan Morgan committed to Ikem Ekwonu at left tackle, the Panthers are focused on bolstering their inside line spots. In addition to guard, the Panthers also want to bring in a center to compete with or replace Bradley Bozeman, according to sources familiar with the team’s thinking.

Per Pro Football Focus, the sixth-year hog molly allowed the most sacks (eight) and sixth-most pressures (32) amongst all centers in 2023. Bozeman’s place as a downhill blocker in new head coach Dave Canales’ wide-zone run approach also raised some doubts about his status moving forward.

In addition to Bozeman, the Panthers are also reportedly expected to part ways cornerback Donte Jackson and tight end Hayden Hurst in the coming days.

[lawrence-related id=692667,692648,692628]

Report: Panthers expected to trade or release Donte Jackson

Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Panthers are expected to part ways with CB Donte Jackson.

One of the longest-tenured Carolina Panthers may not be tenured by the Carolina Panthers much longer.

According to ESPN senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler, the team is expected to part ways with cornerback Donte Jackson. Fowler notes that the Panthers will likely look to trade or release the 28-year-old defender in the coming days.

Such a move would logically go down before March 16, when Jackson would earn a $4 million roster bonus. A release of the veteran corner would save Carolina $5.9 million of cap space this offseason.

A standout speedster at Louisiana State University, Jackson was selected by the organization in the second round of the 2018 NFL draft. Since then, he’s made 76 starts over 80 games—recording 303 combined tackles, 14 interceptions and three forced fumbles.

Jackson played in 16 of 17 games this past season after sustaining a torn Achilles tendon in 2022. He was named the team’s Ed Block Courage Award winner for his valiant recovery and comeback.

2024 would mark the final campaign of the three-year, $35.1 million deal Jackson signed with the Panthers two springs ago.

[lawrence-related id=692331,692325,692320]