Tag: John Penisini

Saints sign their second defensive tackle in as many days

The Saints are signing their second defensive tackle in as many days. NOF reports they’ve added John Penisini to their practice squad:

The New Orleans Saints are signing their second defensive tackle in as many days. They’ve added John Penisini to their practice squad, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill, after poaching PJ Mustipher from the Denver Broncos practice squad on Wednesday.

Penisini, 26, was a sixth-round pick by the Detroit Lions in 2020 NFL draft out of Utah. He didn’t miss a game through his first two years in the league but briefly retired in 2022; he had a history of shoulder issues which Lions coach Dan Campbell characterized as calcium deposits the size of softballs. Penisini ended his retirement to sign with the Carolina Panthers this offseason, who released him during training camp with a failed physical, but he’s clearly looking for work.

And the Saints could use some help up front. They’ve given up 370 rushing yards in two games after their bye week. Backup defensive tackle Malcolm Roach just went on injured reserve for at least the next four games. Here’s what the depth chart looks like now at defensive tackle:

  • Nathan Shepherd
  • Khalen Saunders
  • Bryan Bresee
  • PJ Mustipher
  • Jack Heflin (practice squad)
  • John Penisini (practice squad)

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Panthers waive 2 players to make room for Deion Jones, Nick Thurman

To clear out roster spots for Deion Jones and Nick Thurman, the Panthers waived John Penisini and Aaron Mosby ahead of Tuesday’s practice.

The Carolina Panthers officially announced three additions on Monday, but only had room for one. So, they had to make room before heading out for practice this morning.

To clear way for linebacker Deion Jones and defensive lineman Nick Thurman on the 90-man roster, the Panthers waived linebacker Aaron Mosby and defensive lineman John Penisini.

Penisini, who started training camp on the physically unable to perform list after not being able to hit the field for organized team activities earlier this offseason, was waived with a failed physical designation. The 25-year-old returned to the NFL this spring, on a one-year deal with Carolina, following his retirement in June of 2022.

The 6-foot-2, 335-pounder played the 2021 season under Panthers defensive line coach Todd Wash in Detroit. Penisini logged a total of two seasons for the Lions, recording 49 combined tackles and 12 starts over 32 games.

Mosby initially joined the Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2022. He appeared in three games this past season.

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Panthers place 4 players on active/PUP list before start of training camp

Before settling into Spartanburg, the Panthers placed a handful of players on the active/PUP list.

The first step of 2023 Carolina Panthers training camp was taken on Saturday, when the team’s rookies arrived at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C. But that wasn’t the only step for the day.

As announced through an official release that evening, the Panthers placed a handful of players on the active/physically unable to return list—guards Austin Corbett and Chandler Zavala and defensive linemen John Penisini and Jalen Redmond. The four were not cleared to participate for the start of on-field activities, which begin on Wednesday.

Corbett’s placement on the list was to be expected, as the starting right guard is still on the mend from offseason knee surgery. Corbett tore his ACL in last year’s regular-season finale against the New Orleans Saints and will likely miss the beginning of the 2023 campaign.

Zavala, a possible fill-in for Corbett, is dealing with a pectoral strain—which kept him out of mandatory minicamp in June.

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‘Madden NFL 24’ ratings for Panthers defensive linemen revealed

Did Derrick Brown’s breakout 2022 season earn him a breakout rating in “Madden NFL 24?”

Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Derrick Brown burst onto the scene this past season, putting forth a career campaign that finally made him look like the seventh overall pick the franchise drafted him to be. So, did that reflect in his new “Madden NFL 24” rating?

Here is Brown’s and the rest of the Carolina d-line’s numbers:

Panthers DL coach Todd Wash sheds light on new-look front

On Wednesday, Panthers DL coach Todd Wash gave us a better idea of where his players will be positioned along the team’s realigned front.

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Being that the current state of practices is a bit removed from actual football, Carolina Panthers defensive line coach Todd Wash likes to refer to organized team activities (OTAs) as “gym class.” Nonetheless, he still has an idea of what the attendance sheet will look like when the actual football does begin.

On Wednesday, Wash answered questions from reporters for the first time since being hired this offseason. He was first asked about Derrick Brown, who has a few new tweaks to make in the team’s switch to a 3-4 base.

“He’s gonna line up in some of the exact same spots he has before,” Wash said. “Over the guard, over the center. We’re just addin’ another little alignment for him, where he goes out and lines up over a tackle at times. But for the most part, his alignments are the same. The biggest change is gonna be the technique.”

All Brown has known, at least over his three-year NFL career, is how to play as one of two defensive tackles inside of a 4-3 front. But, even after having a career year in that role this past season, the 6-foot-5, 320-pounder must be prepared to expand his game from here on out.

Wash noted that Brown, as well as free-agent addition Shy Tuttle, have the ability to play as ends or nose tackles in the new scheme. He also spoke on who will fit primarily into that nose tackle spot.

“Yeah, we got Marquan [McCall]. We have him penciled in as a nose in our base, along with John Penisini,” Wash said. “I had Peni up in Detroit, and he’s a true nose guard. So once he gets out there and starts practicin’ and stuff with us, we feel we have two guys that are big, stout players on the inside with both McCall and Peni.

“And Bravvion Roy is another guy that’s a nose in our system. He’s really startin’ to flash and show some things in this gym class we call it instead of football.”

The football, as Wash added, starts in training camp—where he expects one heck of a competition within his unit.

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How much salary cap space the Panthers have after new defensive additions

The details on the deals for Eric Rowe and John Penisini, as well as the Panthers’ updated salary cap space, are in.

A little over a week ago, the Carolina Panthers made a handful of defensive additions. And now, the numbers for those additions are officially out.

Between April 4 and April 8, the team came to terms with linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill, defensive back Eric Rowe and defensive lineman John Penisini. The details on Grugier-Hill’s pact were already made known last Tuesday, as the Super Bowl LII champion got himself a one-year, $1.165 million contract.

As for the more recent developments, Rowe is onboard with the same financials as Grugier-Hill’s ($1.165 million base salary and a $152,250 signing bonus for 2023) while Penisini has a one-year, $940,000 deal. Those signings now leave the Panthers with approximately $26.7 million of salary cap space, the third-most in the NFL.

Here—with Rowe and Penisini now included—are this season’s cap hits for each signee from the current offseason:

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Ex-Lions DT John Penisini signing with the Panthers

Ex-Lions DT John Penisini signing with the Panthers after being waived from Detroit’s reserve/retired list

Former Detroit Lions defensive tackle John Penisini is rebooting his NFL career with the Carolina Panthers. Penisini’s agent, David Canter, announced that the 25-year-old DT is signing with Carolina.

Penisini was recently waived from the Lions’ reserve/retired list. He had opted to retire last summer after suffering from large growths on his shoulders that Detroit head coach Dan Campbell described as “softballs”.

After clearing waivers from the Lions, Penisini became a free agent able to sign with any team. Detroit’s 6th-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft opted to take his run-stuffing talents to Carolina. He had performed well as a rookie nose tackle, logging 35 tackles and one sack for Matt Patricia’s final Lions squad.

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Panthers signing former Lions DT John Penisini

The Panthers are signing 25-year-old DT John Penisini, who retired prior to the start of the 2022 season.

The Carolina Panthers are leaving no stone unturned in free agency, including the stones that weren’t even in plain sight.

As tweeted by GSE Worldwide agent David Canter on Saturday afternoon, defensive lineman John Penisini will be signing with the Carolina Panthers. The 25-year-old had announced his retirement on June 11, 2022, after just two seasons in the NFL.

Penisini was selected in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions. The University of Utah Ute—in his two professional campaigns—amassed 49 combined tackles, 1.0 sack, one fumble recovery and one pass defensed over 32 games.

Of those 32 outings, Penisini picked up starts in 12—all of which came during a solid rookie season. Along with that lone career sack and fumble recovery, he also chalked up four tackles for a loss in 2021.

The 6-foot-2, 335-pounder will likely serve as depth at the nose tackle position for Carolina—who is set to shift to a 3-4 base defense under new defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.

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The Lions waive DT John Penisini from the reserve/retired list

Penisini retired due to medical issues last June

John Penisini’s time with the Detroit Lions has now officially come to an end, long after the defensive tackle last played for the team.

Penisini retired from football last summer due to a medical issue that impacted his shoulders. The nose tackle had played a rotational role in his first two seasons after being a sixth-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft, but he was unable to keep playing.

On Wednesday, the Lions waived Penisini from the reserve/retired list. It’s a procedural formality that released the Lions from any contractual ties to the player. Penisini passed through waivers unclaimed on Thursday and is now a free agent able to sign with any team if he chooses to try and make a return to the NFL.

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