Tag: Kamal Martin

Panthers waive LB Kamal Martin with injury settlement

The Panthers have waived LB Kamal Martin upon reaching an injury settlement with the former fifth-round pick.

On Saturday, the Carolina Panthers waived linebacker Kamal Martin with an injury settlement. Martin, upon clearing waivers from the first round of summer cuts, was placed on the injured reserve last week with an undisclosed issue.

Before landing in Carolina, the 6-foot-3, 240-pounder was drafted in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers. After playing in 10 games with six starts during his rookie campaign, the University of Minnesota product was cut on Aug. 23, 2021.

The Panthers picked Martin up less than a month later, signing him to their practice squad in Sept. 10. He’d be called up to the active roster on Oct. 4, one day following the team’s Week 4 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

Martin appeared in a total of six games for the Panthers, including one start. He totaled two tackles in those outings.

There will be more cuts to be made for Carolina, as the next wave of releases must become official by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Teams will have to trim their rosters down from 85 to 80 players with one week of preseason play remaining.

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Panthers waive 5 players following preseason opener

The Panthers waived five players ahead of the preseason’s first roster reduction deadline.

The Carolina Panthers will be heading into joint practices with the New England Patriots starting this week. But, unfortunately for a handful of guys, they’ll be doing it with a reduced roster.

Less than 24 hours after the team’s 23-21 win in their preseason opener against the Washington Commanders, the Panthers have waived five players. The departed includes running back Darius Bradwell, tight end Nate Becker, offensive lineman Wyatt Miller, linebacker Kamal Martin and cornerback Chris Westry.

Tuesday marks the summer’s first deadline for cut-downs. Teams must get their rosters down from 90 men to 85 with the second batch (or third if you want to count the all-important Hall of Fame Game) of exhibition contests ahead.

The chopping block will be revisited by the Panthers and the rest of the league two more times before the start of the regular season—once prior to Aug. 23 to get to 80 men and the other prior to Aug. 30 to get to 53.

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Panthers sign back G Michael Jordan

Do you think the Panthers will be playing The Alan Parsons Project for their introductions this week?

Do you think the Carolina Panthers will be playing The Alan Parsons Project’s “Sirius” for their introductions at Bank of America Stadium this week?

Well, probably not, but they’ve now set the stage for the return of Michael Jordan.

Less than 24 hours from when they waived him, the Panthers announced on Tuesday that they’ve brought back the 6-foot-6, 313-pound offensive lineman. Jordan was booted off the roster on Monday to make room for the elevation of linebacker Kamal Martin, who will presumably provide some depth following the foot injury to starter Shaq Thompson.

The third-year guard initially signed on with Carolina on Sept. 1 following his departure from the Cincinnati Bengals. The former fourth-round pick started in 19 of his 27 games for the Bengals between 2019 and 2020.

Jordan, however, has yet to be activated by the Panthers during the regular season. He had been ruled inactive in each of the team’s first four contests of 2021.

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Panthers sign LB Kamal Martin to active roster, waive G Michael Jordan

In light of Shaq Thompson’s foot injury, the Panthers made some room to bring Kamal Martin up to the active roster on Monday.

The Carolina Panthers apparently have no use for the greatest basketball player of all-time. They apparently also don’t have any current use for an offensive lineman that shares the same name.

As announced by the team on Monday evening, the Panthers have waived guard Michael Jordan. Jordan, who was acquired through waivers on Sept. 1, had not been activated in any of the first four games of the 2021 regular season.

This move made room for the signing of linebacker Kamal Martin up to the active roster. Martin will presumably provide some insurance while starting linebacker Shaq Thompson deals with a foot injury sustained in the 36-28 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

Martin was inked to the practice squad back on Sept. 10 after being cut by the Green Bay Packers. The 6-foot-3, 240-pounder was fifth round pick out of the University of Minnesota back in 2020.

As for Thompson’s status, head coach Matt Rhule didn’t seem overly concerned on Monday when talking to reporters. He, along with left tackle Cameron Erving (knee) and right guard John Miller (shoulder), underwent further evaluation today.

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Panthers sign LB Kamal Martin to practice squad

After what was apparently a successful visit on Thursday, LB Kamal Martin has been added to the Panthers’ practice squad.

As announced by the team on Friday, the Carolina Panthers have signed linebacker Kamal Martin to their practice squad. Martin, who left a trip to Seattle last week without a contract offer, had been brought in for a visit on Thursday.

The 6-foot-4, 230-pound backer was released by the Green Bay Packers on Aug. 23. Despite being a fifth-round selection just a year prior, he was caught up in the numbers game during their 53-man roster cutdown.

Martin started from the inside in six of his ten games played during his rookie campaign. He totaled 24 tackles and 1.0 sack.

The Panthers have been seeking out depth to add to the linebacker position this summer. Even with the emergence of backup Frankie Luvu as a solid fourth option, the defense still lacks on personnel behind the starting group of Shaq Thompson, Jermaine Carter Jr. and Haason Reddick.

In the corresponding move to get Martin onto the practice squad, cornerback Jalen Julius was released.

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Former Packers LB Kamal Martin joining Panthers practice squad

The Packers’ fifth-round pick in 2020 is joining the practice squad of the Panthers.

Kamal Martin has found a new home.

The former Green Bay Packers linebacker is joining the Carolina Panthers practice squad, according to Joe Person of The Athletic.

Martin, a fifth-round pick of the Packers in 2020, was released by the team during the roster cutdowns to 80 players last month.

The second-year linebacker struggled with injuries – particularly with his knee – and was running with the Packers’ third-team defense for much of training camp.

Martin was without a team for almost three weeks.

“He is a big, long, physical athlete that can really run, and he’s a great kid, great person. That was one of the tougher ones that we’ve had to make in our two years here,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said.

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Releasing LB Kamal Martin was ‘tough decision’ for Packers

Packers coach Matt LaFleur said parting ways with LB Kamal Martin was one of the team’s toughest decisions since he arrived in Green Bay.

Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur said releasing linebacker Kamal Martin – a move reported on Monday but still not official as of Tuesday morning – was one of the “tougher” decisions the team has made in his time in Green Bay.

Martin, a fifth-round pick in 2020, is expected to be released as the Packers trim their roster to 80 players by Tuesday’s deadline.

“Kamal was a great teammate and did everything we asked him to do, but sometimes you have to make some tough decisions,” LaFleur said Tuesday.

It’s possible the Packers are still attempting to trade Martin before making the release official. LaFleur talked about the young linebacker in glowing terms on Tuesday.

“He is a big, long, physical athlete that can really run, and he’s a great kid, great person. That was one of the tougher ones that we’ve had to make in our two years here,” LaFleur said.

As a rookie, Martin was enjoying a standout summer in August before a knee injury halted his ascension to a starting spot. He missed six games and played sparingly upon his return. LaFleur said it was a “challenge for him” returning from the knee injury, which required surgery.

LaFleur also credited the linebackers ahead of him on the depth chart. Martin was no higher than No. 5 at inside linebacker, with De’Vondre Campbell, Krys Barnes, Oren Burks and Ty Summers ahead of him.

The Packers experimented with Martin at outside linebacker, but he hurt his knee again and missed the preseason opener. He returned for Saturday’s preseason game against the Jets but struggled.

The versatile Will Redmond

LaFleur complimented the versatility of Will Redmond and called the veteran defensive back one of the team’s best special teams players, but Redmond’s lack of availability during training camp remains a concern.

He started camp on the non-football injury list, and he left Saturday’s preseason game against the Jets after only nine snaps due to a toe injury.

“Will is a versatile guy,” LaFleur. “He has the ability to play in the box when we go to dime, or play as a deep safety. He has the corner background so he can get you out of a game there. His contribution on special teams, he’s been consistently our best special teamer over two years here. He’s an impact player in that phase of the game, we just gotta get him healthy.”

Redmond has 12 special teams tackles over the last two seasons. He also played 340 snaps as a backup safety on defense in 2020.

If Redmond can get healthy in time, he’ll have a chance to stick as the No. 3 safety. Vernon Scott, Henry Black, Innis Gaines and Christian Uphoff are all competing for safety spots behind Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage.

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Green Bay Packers release second-year LB Kamal Martin

The Packers are releasing second-year linebacker Kamal Martin, a fifth-round pick in 2020.

The trimming of the roster to 80 players before Tuesday’s deadline provided a surprise in Green Bay.

The Packers are releasing second-year linebacker Kamal Martin, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.

Martin, a fifth-round pick in 2020, made his preseason debut in 2021 against the New York Jets on Saturday. He had been out with a knee injury and was cross-training at outside linebacker after falling to the third string at inside linebacker on defense.

Martin played in 10 games as a rookie, finishing with 24 tackles and a sack. He was a summer standout during his first training camp and was on track to be a rookie starter when he hurt his knee and missed the first six games of 2020.

The Packers’ top four at inside linebacker appear to be Krys Barnes, De’Vondre Campbell, Oren Burks and Ty Summers.

The Packers must make four other cuts before Tuesday.

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Packers experimenting with Kamal Martin at OLB

The Packers are crosstraining Kamal Martin at outside linebacker to start training camp.

Last summer, Kamal Martin was a rookie sensation for the Green Bay Packers and well on his way to a starting job before a knee injury set him back for the better part of two months.

This summer, Martin is falling down the depth chart and now experimenting with a position change.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur confirmed that Martin, a fifth-round pick in 2020, is being cross-trained at outside linebacker as the Packers attempt to find new ways of using his skill set and getting him on the field.

The starters at inside linebacker have been Krys Barnes and De’Vondre Campbell to start training camp, leaving precious few reps for a young player like Martin.

In fact, other inside linebackers such as Ty Summers and Oren Burks are ahead of him at inside linebacker so far.

“We’re trying to let these guys compete and find the best two to go out there at the inside spot,” LaFleur said.

Barnes was a 10-game starter as a rookie last season, and Campbell has 70 career starts at the NFL level. Barring injury, it’s unlikely either will be replaced in the starting lineup by Week 1.

Last season, Martin played only 190 snaps over 10 games, but he did show flashes of disruptive potential as a downhill player. As a second-year player, he’s learning a new defense and trying to find ways of contributing for Joe Barry.

The experiment with Martin at outside linebacker looks reminiscent of last year’s attempt to turn Burks into an edge player. It didn’t work, and now Burks is back at inside linebacker.

The Packers might be trying to find a coverage-type player on the edge, especially after losing Randy Ramsey to a significant ankle injury, and Martin could be big enough to survive on passing downs at outside linebacker.

At this point, there’s no guarantee Martin will make the roster.

“I love the way Kamal attacks everything he does, and he’s a great kid that puts in a lot of work,” LaFleur said. “But he has to earn it.”

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Packers rookie review: LB Kamal Martin

Reviewing the rookie season of Packers LB Kamal Martin, a fifth-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

The Green Bay Packers made nine picks during the 2020 NFL draft and signed several others during college free agency, adding an influx of first-year talent to the roster. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be going through and reviewing the 2020 season for all of the Packers’ rookies.

Next up: linebacker Kamal Martin, the 175th overall pick and the Packers’ fifth-round draft pick in 2020:

Season stats

Over 10 starts and six starts during the regular season, Martin tallied 24 tackles, three tackles for losses, one sack and one quarterback hit. He created 11 stops and four total pressures, per Pro Football Focus. He also missed five tackles and allowed three receptions.

Snap counts

Martin played 190 defensive snaps during the regular season, or roughly 19 percent of the defense’s total. He was on the field for another 106 special teams snaps. Well over half of his snaps (105) came against the run. He also rushed the quarterback 16 times. Four times, he played 20 or more snaps in a game, including a season-high 42 against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 8. The Packers had him on the field for just 18 total snaps during the postseason.

PFF grade

73.3. He was the Packers’ highest-graded inside linebacker, and the second-highest graded rookie inside linebacker in the NFL. In fact, he was the only rookie linebacker to have a grade over 60.0 as a run defender, blitzer and in coverage.

Best game

Week 7 vs. the Texans. In his first professional appearance, Martin played 29 snaps and delivered a season-high six tackles – including three stops and a tackle for loss – during a convincing win in Houston. Dan Wussow of Packers Wire broke down the performance in greater detail here.

Season recap, future outlook

While a summer sensatation during training camp, Martin suffered an early injury setback late in camp and missed the first six weeks of the season. He returned in Week 7 and saw action in the final 10 games, including the playoffs. His impact arrived in flashes as he adjusted to playing the pro game. After playing 72 snaps during his first two games on defense, he never again got over 25 snaps in a single game the rest of the way. His attacking instincts are strong, and he prefers anticipating things in front of him and playing downhill. His five missed tackles in limited playing time highlight the recklessness still in his game. On several occasions, he was in position to make a play but arrived at the scene out of control and missed the tackle. Young players that aren’t getting consistent playing time can be over-anxious to create big plays. Reliability is often more important. With Christian Kirksey gone, Martin figures to be a heavy favorite to be one of the starting linebackers for the Packers in 2021. He has the body type and attacking mindset to play the position at a high level, and new defensive coordinator Joe Barry has a strong background of training the position, upping his potential. Whether he can be an all-around linebacker capable of playing gaps in the run game and covering the middle of the field in coverage at something higher than replacement level is still up in the air. The flashes from his rookie season suggest he could be a quality starter with the right development this summer. The Packers do have to wonder if he will have chronic knee issues after significant injuries in back-to-back seasons.

Season grade

Martin was well on his way to becoming a Week 1 rookie starter when an unfortunate injury derailed the start of his first season. He still ended up being one of the team’s top three inside linebackers alongside Kirksey and rookie Krys Barnes. His encouraging attacking flashes against the run and as a blitzer were counterweighted by ugly missed tackles and some gap discipline issues. However, playing under control and in the right gaps will be things the Packers think they can fix over the long-term. Martin has the size and athletic profile of a starter, but development in terms of playing the position consistently is required. Barry and his staff must settle his over-anxious tendencies. For a rookie linebacker from the fifth round, Martin looked the part. There’s real upside, and significant room for improvement. Season grade: C+

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