Tag: Jeremy Chinn

Carolina Panthers: 90-man roster to begin the 2021 offseason

With OTAs on the horizon, here is what the team’s current 90-man roster looks like.

The Carolina Panthers are now entering their second year of the Matt Rhule era and the first under Scott Fitterer, and their chessboard is continuing to take shape. So, who are all the pieces?

With OTAs on the horizon, here is what the team’s current 90-man roster looks like.

Taylor Moton, Jeremy Chinn lead Panthers in performance-based bonuses for 2020

Here is a look at how every Carolina player made out, per Mike Garafolo at NFL Network.

Panthers right tackle Taylor Moton recently signed his franchise tag, locking him in at $13.754 million in salary for the 2021 season unless he signs a new contract extension before the deadline in mid-July. Moton will be picking up another half-million or so in performance-based pay for the 2020 season. He leads the team at $469,785 this year, followed by rookie defensive back Jeremy Chinn, who earned $438,928.

Here is a look at how every Carolina player made out, per Mike Garafolo at NFL Network.

 

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Analysis: Panthers need to find an answer at free safety with Tre Boston out

For the second time in his career, the Carolina Panthers have released free safety Tre Boston.

For the second time in his career, the Carolina Panthers have released free safety Tre Boston. He was one of three players who we learned are getting cut by the team today. The others were defensive end Stephen Weatherly and punter Michael Palardy. Carolina is well set up at those two positions, but with Boston leaving they now have a rather significant hole to fill at free safety, which has become a common theme for this franchise regardless of who’s in charge.

While it’s true Boston didn’t have a great 2020 season, we’re not huge fans of cutting him at this point. For one thing, it didn’t save a whole lot of salary cap room for 2021 – only $3.55 million according to Over the Cap. If that sounds familiar, it’s because the Panthers made a similar decision last March when they cut Eric Reid despite little cap savings and a sizable dead money penalty.

Clearly the safeties that the Panthers are signing are not meeting their standards, which makes picking up another veteran to replace Boston a wary proposition.

However, there are some excellent pending free agents at the position who deserve some serious consideration. Justin Simmons of the Broncos is just 27 and poised to cash in next month. Anthony Harris of the Vikings is two years older but in a similar situation.

The gem of course is Earl Thomas, formerly of the Seahawks and the Ravens. He’s still an otherworldly defensive talent based on what we saw from him in 2019. Thomas’ ugly exits from both Seattle and Baltimore are a concern, though. While his behavior might drive his price down, it’s also a big yellow flag. That said, if general manger Scott Fitterer believes Thomas wouldn’t be an issue off the field, then he has to at least kick the tires.

Internally, the DBs on the roster are all not ideal as far moving them to Boston’s former spot. Jeremy Chinn was going to be playing more safety anyway but he’s not the kind of defender you want playing the center field role, at least not until he improves dramatically in coverage. Juston Burris is a quality backup but also not someone you’d want starting at that spot.

Unless the Panthers are convinced somebody like Sam Franklin or Myles Hartsfield can make a dramatic second-year leap and take over for Boston, odds are they’ll have to acquire a new safety to meet this need.

Not every position can be filled via the NFL draft. This is one that likely should be added to an already-long list, though.

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Panthers rookie watch: Class of 2020 gets strong grade, ranking from NFL.com

The crew over at NFL.com has given the Panthers’ rookies a B+ grade for the year and ranked them No. 10 in the league.

It’s only been one year. However, the early returns for the Carolina Panthers’ 2020 draft class are solid. They didn’t get much from their Day 3 picks but their first three selections – Auburn DT Derrick Brown, Penn State DE Yetur Gross-Matos and Southern Illinois DB/LB Jeremy Chinn – all had strong rookie campaigns in their own different ways.

Now that the season is overwith, Carolina’s strong rookie class is getting some props. The crew over at NFL.com has given the Panthers’ rookies a B+ grade for the year and ranked them No. 10 in the league. Here’s what they had to say about Gross-Matos’ season.

“Gross-Matos adjusted after a slow start to the season, finishing with three sacks, 17 stops and 22 disruptions, including a turnover caused by a pressure.”

With a little better luck in the injury department, Gross-Matos is the one second-year we’re looking for to explode in 2021. He flashed some monster potential as a pass rusher in a couple of games and might blossom into a serious force opposite Brian Burns with a full NFL offseason behind him.

Brown made some rookie mistakes early and at one point even led the league in penalties. Eventually he cleaned those up and he caught fire down the stretch, especially getting pressure on the quarterback. His breakout game against the Packers showed how disruptive he can be when the entire defensive line is clicking.

As for Chinn, he’s the centerpiece of this draft class. He showed tremendous instincts and range for such a young player, but also clearly has room to improve in coverage. If he can address that part of his game, we’re looking at a potential perennial Pro Bowler.

There are a few other interesting pieces to keep track of, as well. Undrafted free agent DBs Sam Franklin and Myles Hartsfield might both see bigger roles in the future.

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Patrick Queen fired up for 2nd year after DROY slight: ‘Everything’s personal now’

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen voices his frustration on the Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

The Baltimore Ravens came up empty-handed at the NFL’s Honors ceremony Saturday. Though he finished third in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting, Patrick Queen made sure people knew he wasn’t happy about it.

Baltimore rarely lets rookies get a lot of playing time, much less start immediately, making Queen’s 16 regular-season starts pretty remarkable. He performed well, notching 106 combined tackles, an interception, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, one fumble returned for a touchdown, three sacks, nine tackles for a loss, and 13 combined pressures.

Queen sat down for a video call with former NFL punter-turned talking-head Pat McAfee to discuss the diss. While he acknowledged the amazing season Washington’s Chase Young had and said he was deserving of the award, Queen put the focus on coming back better in 2021.

 

Queen detailed his offseason workout plans to McAfee, including training at House of Athletes down in Florida which was founded by former NFL wide receiver Brandon Marshall.

Queen is already an athletic freak, with great sideline-to-sideline speed. Where Queen could really use the help is in reading and diagnosing plays pre-snap and getting a little stronger to fend off blocks, putting himself in better positions to make plays. We should expect Queen to develop quite a bit after getting a full season of play and heading into the offseason training for football and not the NFL Scouting Combine. However, considering Queen is just 21 years old, he hasn’t even hit his physical peak yet and could shock everyone when he shows up for training camp in the summer.

When Queen says “everything’s personal” you can’t help but believe him. And for the players that’ll be going up against him next season, that’s a pretty scary thought. He might not have won the Defensive Rookie of the Year award but if Queen keeps this chip on his shoulder, he might put himself in the running for the Defensive Player of the Year award next season.

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Ravens’ Patrick Queen not pleased with 3rd-place finish in NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year voting

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen finished third in the voting for the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award and isn’t pleased.

The NFL held its annual awards ceremony last night. As Baltimore Ravens fans will likely remember, the NFL Honors ceremony is where the league hands out various awards, including the NFL MVP. Unfortunately for Baltimore, they came up empty-handed with not a single player or coach taking home hardware. And for rookie linebacker Patrick Queen, he’s not happy about it.

Queen finished third in the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. His two votes finished behind Washington pass rusher Chase Young’s 42.5 votes and Carolina Panthers safety Jeremy Chinn’s 4.5 votes, according to Pro Football Talk’s Charean Williams.

Queen took to social media immediately after the award was handed out, posting a somewhat cryptic emoji of a pencil and paper. If that wasn’t quite clear enough, Queen made it a lot clearer how he felt about finishing third for the award.

Young was a disruptive force for Washington, notching 7.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, a fumble return for a touchdown, 10 tackles for a loss, and 24 total quarterback pressures. But Queen was no slouch either and there’s quite the case for giving him the award, or at least more votes.

Queen started all 16 games in 2020, playing 80% of the snaps on one of the NFL’s best defenses. That alone is worthy of some recognition considering Baltimore doesn’t just hand starting jobs and snaps to rookies, even if they’re outstanding. Queen finished his rookie campaign with 106 combined tackles, an interception, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, one fumble returned for a touchdown, three sacks, nine tackles for a loss, and 13 combined pressures.

Queen wasn’t the only one shocked and upset he didn’t win the award. Fellow Ravens defender Jihad Ward went to bat for Queen on social media as well.

While Queen obviously won’t have a chance to win a Rookie of the Year award again, he seems willing to use this perceived slight as motivation. And with such an impressive rookie season, Queen stepping up his play with a chip on his shoulder is bad news for everyone else in the league.

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Panthers rookie Jeremy Chinn wishes good luck to Senior Bowl players

This year, he’s wishing good luck to all those who are competing.

Matt Rhule and the Panthers are currently coaching in the 2021 Senior Bowl, albeit with a few assistants missing due to COVID-19 related reasons.

All-Star games are only a small part of evaluating draft prospects, but it offers an opportunity for young players to show what they can do on a big stage – especially those who come from smaller schools and conferences. Last year, Jeremy Chinn from Southern Illinois helped put himself on the map with a strong performance in the Senior Bowl. This year, he’s wishing good luck to all those who are competing.

Chinn finished his rookie year with 117 combined tackles, five pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two defensive touchdowns. He won Defensive Rookie of the Month twice but was ultimately surpassed for rookie of the year by Chase Young.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about Chinn’s first year in the league was the sheer number of positions he lined up at. Chinn split time in the box, as a linebacker, in the slot and at safety. If he can improve his coverage, he should be a quality defensive starter for a long time at the very least.

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2 Panthers rookies set their sights on the NFL playoffs

This morning, defensive tackle Derrick Brown replied with a promise that it will come very soon.

It’s Championship Sunday and we’re in for a couple of classic matchups. First, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers host Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in the NFC title game. That will be followed by Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs facing the upstart Bills in the AFC Championship.

There’s not many things more fun than watching the NFL playoffs. Actually participating in them has to be a rush on an entirely different level, though. While the Panthers finished their season 5-11, some of their youngest and most important defensive players have spent the weekend setting their sights on competing in the postseason.

On Saturday, hybrid DB/LB Jeremy Chinn tweeted that he just wants to play in January and February.

This morning, defensive tackle Derrick Brown replied with a promise that it will come very soon.

These are two foundational pieces for a defense that improved a lot down the stretch of the regular season. At their best, the unit stifled the likely 2020 league MVP in Rodgers, holding him to just 143 passing yards and under five per attempt. Brown’s pressure up front (he had two sacks) was a huge factor in that breakout performance.

While there were coverage issues peppered throughout, Chinn played at a high level for a rookie. He was inevitably overtaken by Chase Young in the Defensive Rookie of the Year race, but Chinn is clearly going to be an impact playmaker as long as he’s healthy.

In-between these two picks, the Panthers added another defender who also looks to have a high ceiling. Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos missed four games due to injuries but flashed enough to be nothing but bullish about his future. He finished with 2.5 sacks, nine quarterback hits and 11 pressures.

These three rookies plus defensive end Brian Burns and cornerback Donte Jackson represent the young nucleus of this defense. If general manager Scott Fitterer can find the right pieces to add around them, then Brown’s “very soon” prediction will prove correct.

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Scott Fitterer won’t comment on Teddy Bridgewater, other Panthers players

Fitterer would not give an assessment on Teddy Bridgewater or any other players.

Carolina Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer declined to comment on the team’s quarterback situation in his introductory press conference today. Fitterer would not give an assessment on Teddy Bridgewater or any other players.

He did say that the only one he’s spoken to so far is Jeremy Chinn, who was a candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year until he got overtaken by Chase Young in Washington.

Fitterer can be as diplomatic as he wants. The writing is on the wall for Bridgewater in any case.

In his end-of-season press conference, head coach Matt Rhule said “we’ll see what happens” when it comes to the QB situation and team owner David Tepper threw shade at Teddy in a Thursday interview talking about the GM hiring process.

For what it’s worth, Fitterer helped set up the draft board that got the Seattle Seahawks Russell Wilson in the third round back in 2012.

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Panthers rookie watch: 2 players make PFF’s 2020 All-Rookie team

In fact, two of Carolina’s top draft picks wound up making the Pro Football Focus All-Rookie Team this year. 

Panthers fans who are disappointed in the wake of another 5-11 season need only look to the youth for hope. Specifically, the rookie class of 2020 looks like it’s going to be a strong one.

In fact, two of Carolina’s top draft picks wound up making the Pro Football Focus All-Rookie Team this year.

DT Derrick Brown

The Panthers picked Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown at No. 7 overall. Taking an interior lineman that high was a questionable move by former general manager Marty Hurney. That said, Brown has all the makings of another All-Pro. He and Raekwon Davis of the Dolphins were the two defensive tackles who made PFF’s team.

“Brown’s 34 pressures on the season are more than any other rookie in the league not named Chase Young. He added four batted passes to his pass-rushing stat sheet, as well. That should be the big takeaway from his rookie performance because the run defense should come along given how dominant he was in that phase of the game at Auburn.”

To be sure, there were some hiccups. Especially early in the season Brown was frequently making rookie mistakes. At one point, he even led the NFL in penalties. Brown settled in eventually though and didn’t have one the last several games. He also came on strong as a pass rusher down the stretch.

For the year, PFF gave Brown a 60.7 overall grade.

LB Jeremy Chinn

Picking Brown was somewhat of a surprise given the team’s desperate need to find a versatile playmaker for the middle of their defense. No matter. The Panthers still managed to fill that hole when they traded up to the end of the second round and selected Southern Illinois’ Jeremy Chinn.

While it took Brown and the other rookies to find their footing, Chinn hit the ground running in September and continued to make an impact throughout the season. He won Defensive Rookie of the Month twice and was named to PFF’s team in the flex spot.

Like Brown, he turned it on in the second half of the year.

“Chinn also produced most of his better games as a rookie toward the back half of the 2020 season. His overall grade jumped from 47.9 over the first five weeks of the season to 67.4 since Week 6. The expectation coming into the season was that Chinn would be a project — an FCS prospect with elite athletic tools who was still learning how to read and react on defense. That showed at times in his rookie year, but the Panthers will certainly take the kind of production they got from him in his first season.”

Indeed.

Similar to a former Carolina linebacker, Chinn demonstrated exceptional range, instincts and tackling (115) ability. 59 defended the pass well too, though and this was a sore point for Chinn’s game as a rookie. For the season, he allowed six touchdowns and a 115.7 passer rating in coverage.

Chase Young will win DROY, but Chinn gave him a run for his money and will only get better with time.

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