Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
The Panthers currently have 26 players slated for free agency in 2024.
Things have changed a bit since the last time we brought you this free agent list.
A few weeks back, the Carolina Panthers held on to a few of their own—re-signing tight end Stephen Sullivan and defensive linemen Nick Thurman LaBryan Ray to fresh deals.
So, let’s take an updated look at the team’s pending 2024 free agents.
Week 18 may mark the end of an era for a few Carolina Panthers players.
Sunday will not only represent the end of a brutal 2023 season for the Carolina Panthers, but it may also mark the end of a few eras.
Here are 23 pending free agents who could be playing their last game for the Panthers in Week 18:
*List excludes pending free agents who are on the practice squad, who are on injured reserve and who have been ruled out
OL Ilm Manning joined the Panthers’ active roster on Thursday.
The Carolina Panthers added another hog molly on Thursday, signing offensive lineman Ilm Manning off the San Francisco 49ers’ practice squad.
So, let’s take a fresh look at the team’s active roster with the rookie now in the fold:
The Panthers have signed OL Ilm Manning off the 49ers’ practice squad.
The Carolina Panthers might’ve just taken a Super Bowl ring away from Ilm Manning. But hey, at least they gave him a shot at the playing field.
As announced on Thursday, the team has signed the 24-year-old offensive lineman away from the San Francisco 49ers’ practice squad. He will now, as a result of the poaching, join the Panthers’ active roster.
A Glendale, Ariz. native, Manning was a standout athlete during his time at Apollo High School. In addition to being a two-way player for the football team’s offensive and defensive lines, he was also a member of the basketball and track and field squads.
Manning moved on to play his college ball—football, that is—at the University of Hawaii beginning in 2018. In his fifth and final year in Honolulu, Manning earned First-team All-MW honors for his work at left tackle.
The 6-foot-2, 294-pounder then cracked into the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the 49ers this past spring.
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The Bears added Matthew to their practice squad and Manning returns to the 49ers on their practice squad.
The Arizona Cardinals released second-year cornerback Christian Matthew and offensive lineman Ilm Manning on Monday. Both cleared waivers.
Both found new teams on practice squads.
Matthew signed with the practice squad of the Chicago Bears.
Manning landed with the San Francisco 49ers on their practice squad.
The Cardinals acquired Manning off waivers when he was cut by the 49ers before the season. Two other players the Cardinals cut this week, punter Nolan Cooney and cornerback Kris Boyd, both remain unsigned. Cooney cleared waivers.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
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Manning is from Glendale, played five seasons for Hawaii and was an undrafted rookie with the 49ers during the offseason and preseason.
Among the Arizona Cardinals’ six additions to their roster on Wednesday via waiver claims was former San Francisco 49ers OL Ilm Manning.
What is there to know about the new Cardinals lineman?
Manning is an undrafted rookie out of Hawaii who spent the offseason and preseason with the 49ers.
He started 60-of-62 games played at left tackle and was a three-time All-Mountain West selection in five seasons for Hawaii.
He is undersized for a tackle at 6-foot-2 and 294 pounds.
He is a local kid. He is a native of Glendale who played for Apollo High School.
Niners Wire managing editor Kyle Madson gave me good reviews of Manning.
“Manning can actually play,” he told me. “He had a legit chance to make the 53 and some pretty plugged-in beat guys up here thought he would make it.”
He added that the 49ers wanted to get him on their practice squad and move him to guard.
We will see what the Cardinals’ plans are for Manning over the next few weeks.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
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7 players to watch on Saturday in the #49ers 2nd preseason game:
The 49ers on Saturday will suit up for their second of three preseason games. While their preseason opener didn’t go particularly well with a 34-7 loss to the Raiders in Las Vegas, it did give some valuable information about where some key players stood in the hunt for starting jobs and roster spots.
Based on the preseason opener and the trio of practices since, we put together a list of the seven players we’re keeping a close eye on when the Broncos visit Levi’s Stadium on Saturday.
Another #49ers UDFA is shining in training camp: Former Hawaii OL Ilm Manning.
Cornerback D’Shawn Jamison was the first 49ers undrafted rookie to stand out in training camp. The Texas product received praise from wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, general manager John Lynch and defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. After the Jamison love there wasn’t much noise coming from this year’s undrafted rookie group. Then offensive lineman Ilm Manning got a chance to play.
“They all had first game issues,” offensive line coach/run game coordinator Chris Foerster said in a press conference when asked about the undrafted offensive linemen. “They didn’t play as well as they could have. There were some mental errors, there were some physical breakdowns. Of the three guys, Ilm’s really played very well this camp. And in the preseason game.”
Manning started 60 of the 62 games he played at left tackle for the University of Hawaii. His 6-2, 294-pound frame will mean his long-term future in the NFL will come inside at guard or center and not his natural tackle spot.
Foerster explained how Manning has put together a strong camp as a tackle, as well as some of the challenges he’ll face with a move to the interior.
“He’s got really good bend, flexibility, balance, things that you need inside,” Foerster said. “He’s got good quickness. He’ll have to learn. It’s quicker; things happen, the steps have to be shorter. [OL Spencer] Burford goes through it a little bit still. He still sometimes kicks bigger like a tackle and needs to keep his feet underneath him a little more under control, like a guard. So, it’s more of a quickness and I don’t want to say quickness, it’s more of just your footwork has to be, everything has to happen a little bit quicker at guard. And that’s what Ilm will have to learn if he ever makes that transition in.”
The 49ers offensive line depth is not one of the roster’s strong suits, although that’s true of virtually every NFL club. If they did find a capable starter or backup in the undrafted rookie pool, even if he spends a year on the practice squad, it would do wonders to improve one of the only truly weak areas of San Francisco’s loaded roster.
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One of the Mountain West’s most experienced prospects in this year’s NFL Draft, the Warriors offensive tackle is an intriguing dark horse.
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One of the Mountain West’s most experienced prospects in this year’s NFL Draft, the Warriors offensive tackle is an intriguing dark horse.
Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire
College football fans know that Hawaii football means exciting late-night television on Saturdays, but NFL fans may not be quite as familiar with what an athlete like offensive lineman Ilm Manning can bring to the pros if they weren’t staying up past their bedtimes.
A Glendale, Arizona native, Manning came to Hawaii in 2018, when Nick Rolovich was in the middle of rebuilding the program, and cemented himself almost immediately as a stabilizer by winning the left tackle job as a true freshman. The following year, the Warriors won their first and only West division title on the strength of one of college football’s most prolific passing offense, a year in which Manning protected Cole McDonald’s blind side, and he continued to cover for quarterbacks for five seasons altogether.
Height – 6′ 2 1/8″
Weight – 294 pounds
40-yard time – 4.97 seconds
10-yard split time – 1.76 seconds
Arm length – 32 5/8″
Hand size – 9 3/8″
Wingspan – 80″
Vertical jump – 30 1/2″
Broad jump – 9′ and 2″ (or 110″)
Shuttle time – 4.70 seconds
3-cone drill time – 7.93 seconds
Bench press – 25 reps
Quick little film series of Hawaii LT Ilm Manning who is a top 30 visit for the #Cowboys I didn't edit or cherry pick, this is most of a series, good/bad/etc. pic.twitter.com/hBZiqsIMjO
— Matt Owen (@ProfessorO_NFL) April 6, 2023
🏃🏾💨📈. pic.twitter.com/HXUCajNM2i
— Ilm Manning (@ilmstreet) February 11, 2023
If you’re looking for experience in this year’s draft class, Manning may have more of it than literally every other prospect at any position. To wit, he started 60 games at left tackle for Hawaii across five seasons, holding that position down through multiple offenses. In particular, he’s had plenty of reps as a pass protector in the run-and-shoot, first under Nick Rolovich and later under Timmy Chang, and it may not be a coincidence that, according to Pro Football Focus, his three best pass-blocking grades, including a high of 78.7, came in 2018, 2019, and 2022 under those two coaches.
Additionally, as you might expect from someone with so much playing time on their resume, Manning is also a very sound technician in the trenches. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler and Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline both mention how well he uses his hands, and Brugler adds that he “stays light in his movements”.
After spending five years as an anchor at left tackle for the Warriors, Manning will have to move inside because he’s definitely undersized among his peers in this class. Even at guard, coming in under 300 pounds could be a huge strike against him, especially when compared to mammoths like Peter Skoronski who will be off the board by the end of the first round.
Another thing mentioned by multiple draft analysts is that, for as well as Manning does some things, there is room for improvement in others. Pauline and CBS Sports both point to leverage, or the occasional lack thereof, as a potential hindrance.
Marshall Newhouse
Unlike some other Mountain West players in this year’s draft, Manning’s wealth of experience doesn’t come at a cost because he won the job in the first place as a true freshman. That means he’s still relatively young and may entice coaches to believe there’s still a ceiling to be reached. Because he’ll have to play inside, though, it’s a 50-50 proposition as to whether he’ll be drafted and I think the best bet is that he’ll sign somewhere as an undrafted free agent.
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The Colts recently met with Hawaii OT Ilm Manning.
The Indianapolis Colts will be looking to add depth to the offensive line, and they recently met with Hawaii offensive tackle Ilm Manning ahead of the 2023 NFL draft, per Justin Melo of The Draft Network.
In an interview with Melo, Manning discussed the team’s he has met with during the pre-draft process. The Colts were among those teams, though it’s unclear what kind of meeting was held.
Manning spent his entire career at Hawaii playing left tackle and proved to be a durable player during his time, starting 60 of 62 games in college.
While having that experience at left tackle is certainly intriguing, teams may want to kick him inside considering his size. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 295 pounds, there’s a chance Manning moves to guard or center in the NFL. And he has no qualms about doing so.
“I stayed at left tackle because they told me I was the best offensive lineman they had. I have heard from various scouts that I’ll be moving inside at the next level though,” Manning said in the interview. “I can play both center and guard. That’s where I’ve been practicing throughout the pre-draft process. I’ve been working almost exclusively inside. It’s been a fun process. I’m getting the technique down. It’s been challenging, but fun. Working with coach Torrian Wilson, who played in the league, has taught me a lot. He’s been cleaning my technique up.”
Manning likely would be a Day 3 target for the Colts, and they have an affinity for offensive line prospects who move well even if they are a bit undersized.
Hawaii’s pro day was conducted March 8, so we should get a look at his measurements soon, but Manning will be a player to keep an eye on during Day 3 of the draft.
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