Tag: Kawann Short

Report: Panthers releasing former Pro Bowl DT Kawann Short today

The Carolina Panthers will be releasing two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kawann Short today, according to a report by Adam Schefter at ESPN. 

The Carolina Panthers will be releasing their two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kawann Short today, according to a report by Adam Schefter at ESPN.

This move was expected, as Short missed most of the 2019 and 2020 seasons due to shoulder injuries. He’s also 32 years old and the team will save a bunch of salary cap space by cutting him. How much depends on the details. If he’s a pre-June 1 designation, Short’s release will save the team roughly $8.6 million in 2021 and come with an $11 million dead money figure. If it’s a post-June 1 cut, it saves $13.28 million with just $6.33 million in dead money – per Over the Cap.

Carolina has a strong defensive line rotation and should be able to handle losing him, especially considering he hardly played the last two seasons.

For now, Derrick Brown and Zach Kerr are projected to start inside in 2021. Both are relatively cheap and performed well last season. However, there’s a compelling case to continue building up that defensive line and turn it from a strong unit into a dominant one.

A couple of free agent replacements who are worth considering include Shelby Harris of the Broncos and Larry Ogunjobi of the Browns.

Update:

Joe Person at the Athletic reports Short’s release is not a post-June 1 designation, so they’ll save $8.6 million this year and take the full dead money hit.

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Who are the 4 Panthers players most likely to get cut before next season?

Based on the structure of their contracts and the team’s roster situation, here are our top four candidates to be released.

The Carolina Panthers will only have about $16.2 million in salary cap space to work with for the 2021 season unless they do some trimming.

Some fans have suggested that they should release starting center Matt Paradis, for one. While cutting him would save the team $8.53 million, Paradis actually played well this season and is worth keeping around. In fact, if he leaves there’s a possibility all five starting offensive linemen will be turned over this offseason and that’s not a good idea to say the least. If anything, Paradis should be considered for an extension, which could save the team about $6 million this year, according to Over the Cap.

There are some good candidates to get cut, though. Based on the structure of their contracts and the team’s roster situation, here are our top four candidates to be released. All salary numbers are via OTC and assume a post June 1 designation.

Panthers DT Zach Kerr shares his philosophy: ‘Nobody cares, work harder’

Panthers defensive tackle Zach Kerr has become one of the team’s top under-the-radar free agent pickups in 2020.

Panthers defensive tackle Zach Kerr has become one of the team’s top under-the-radar free agent pickups in 2020. Kerr did not play Thursday night against the Falcons due to a toe injury. That said, when he’s been on the field Kerr has performed well, a welcome development especially after another season-ending shoulder injury for star DT Kawann Short.

Kerr has only played 39% of the team’s defensive snaps so far, but he has four quarterback hits and a pass breakup already. This morning, Kerr shared some profound thoughts on Twitter about his process and philosophy. His working mantra seems to be “nobody cares, work harder.”

It may not be a football reference. However, it’s the right frame of mind to have for Kerr and the Panthers going into Week 9. The team has opened as a 12-point underdog against the reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs. Hopefully Kerr will be back in the lineup.

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Panthers activate WR Keith Kirkwood from IR, promote 2 from practice squad

Carolina Panthers activate wide receiver Keith Kirkwood from the injured reserve list.

The Panthers have been playing with a short deck all season thanks to a slew of injuries. This week, veteran defensive tackle Kawann Short suffered another season-ending shoulder injury and has been placed on injured reserve. That opened up a spot on the active roster, which will be filled by wide receiver Keith Kirkwood, who has been activated.

Kirkwood spent the first two seasons of his career with the Saints, where he posted 13 catches, 209 yards and two touchdowns during the 2018 campaign. He only played 17 snaps last year due to injury.

While it’s unlikely Kirkwood will make a big impact on Carolina’s offense, he does offer more depth at an important position. He should also be plenty familiar with offensive coordinator Joe Brady’s concepts from their time together in New Orleans.

We project Kirkwood to be the team’s fifth wide receiver behind Robby Anderson, D.J. Moore, Curtis Samuel and Seth Roberts.

The team also promoted defensive tackle Woodrow Hamilton and defensive end Austin Larkin from the practice squad.

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Panthers potential 2021 NFL draft targets: Florida State DT Marvin Wilson

Panthers potential 2021 NFL draft targets: Florida State DT Marvin Wilson.

The Panthers defense is surprising many people with their outstanding, high energy play over the last three games. Yes, they have struggled to stop the run but the secondary has played fantastic and Brian Burns and Yetur Gross-Matos are starting to apply constant pressure to the pocket from the edge.

Unfortunately, defensive tackle Kawann Short will be placed on season-ending injured reserve for the second straight year with a shoulder injury, so it looks like the Panthers could potentially move on from him during the offseason and free up a ton of cap space. Bravvion Roy and Zach Kerr are decent rotational pieces for now, but they need to look into a long term replacement for Short that can be a true run stuffer and help complete their defense.

The defensive tackle group in the 2021 NFL draft class is not particularly strong. However, there is a player who is viewed as a consensus top-15 pick by most scouts. Let’s take a look at Florida State’s Marvin Wilson and what he could do for Carolina.

Profile:
6-foot-5, 310 pounds
Projected 40 yard dash: 4.95 seconds
Wilson is a beast in the trenches who plays with high energy, tremendous strength and a surprisingly quick get-off for a tackle his size. He carries his weight well and is just as strong in his upper half as he is in his lower half. Wilson has dominant hands and can absolutely blow blockers out of balance with his perfect placement and power on his punches and blows. He has a devastating swim move that allows him to split double teams with ease, something he’s shown many times on film. Overall, Wilson’s raw strength, hand usage and unique ability to beat double teams will make him a quality defensive tackle in the NFL with the potential to become one of the best in the league at his position.

Highlights:

Wilson vs. Georgia Tech

Wilson vs. Miami

Wilson vs. Wake Forest

How he compares:
Wilson is definitely the alpha dog at the defensive tackle position in this year’s class. However, there are other prospects hot on his tail who are gunning for that DT1 label. Alabama’s Christian Barmore, USC’s Jay Tufele, Pitt’s Jaylen Twyman and LSU’s Tyler Shelvin are all quality tackle prospects who can make an impact Week 1 in the NFL. Twyman might be the top pass rusher in the group and Tufele the best run stuffer, but Wilson has the most upside and more of a technically sound game than the others. Look for Wilson to be the first interior defensive lineman off the board.

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Panthers Week 6 injury report: Brian Burns, Yetur Gross-Matos miss first practice

Here is your first look at the team’s Week 6 injury report.

The Carolina Panthers’ atrocious luck with injuries this season continues, especially around the line of scrimmage. Three starting defensive linemen did not participate in today’s practice and one is done for the year.

Here is your first look at the team’s Week 6 injury report.

Player Injury Wed Thu Fri Status
DE Brian Burns Concussion DNP
DT Kawann Short Shoulder DNP
DE Yetur Gross-Matos Ankle DNP
CB Donte Jackson Toe Limited
CB Eli Apple Hamstring Limited
DT Zach Kerr Toe Limited
WR Curtis Samuel Knee Limited
WR/KR Pharoh Cooper Neck Full

Short’s shoulder injury will require surgery, so his 2020 season is over. Hopefully KK’s luck changes. However, it’s starting to look like his NFL career is going to be dominated by injury issues as it winds down. He missed 14 games last season and has played less than 200 defensive snaps since the start of 2019.

This setback for Gross-Matos is also pretty disheartening. After a difficult start to the season, the second-round pick had come on strong the last couple of games, racking up multiple pressures.

Burns’ injury is of course the scariest. As this franchise learned the hard way with Luke Kuechly, concussions can be far more damaging long-term than just forcing a key player out for a couple of weeks. Burns will be a foundational defensive piece for the Matt Rhule era, but only if he can stay healthy.

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Panthers DT Kawann Short suffers another season-ending shoulder injury

This is sad news for Short, who was one of the NFL’s top-10 interior defensive linemen when he was healthy.

For the second straight year, Panthers defensive tackle Kawann Short has suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.

Short only played two games during the 2019 season before a shoulder issue put him on injured reserve. This time around, Short was on the field for three games and 123 defensive snaps. He totaled six combined tackles.

This is sad for Short, who was one of the NFL’s top-10 interior defensive linemen when he was healthy.

If there’s a silver lining, Zach Kerr has played relatively well this year and will likely take Short’s spot in the starting lineup next to rookie Derrick Brown.

We wish Short the best in his recovery and hope he can rebound from this.

Coach Matt Rhule broke the bad news to reporters in a Zoom call today. He also said he’s comfortable with the team’s depth at this position and doesn’t anticipate adding another defensive tackle at this time.

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Panthers injury updates: Kawann Short expected to play vs. Cards

Panthers injury updates: Kawann Short expected to play vs. Cards

The Panthers are getting one of their most important players back in the lineup this week. Defensive tackle Kawann Short is expected to play against Arizona after missing the last two games due to a foot injury. Left tackle Russell Okung and left guard Dennis Daley are listed as questionable.

Here is the complete Week 4 injury report.

Player Injury Wed Thu Fri Status
OT Russell Okung Groin DNP Limited Limited Questionable
DT Kawann Short Foot Limited Full Full –
OL Dennis Daley Ankle Limited Limited Limited Questionable
DE Yetur Gross-Matos Illness DNP DNP Limited –
DT Derrick Brown NIR DNP – – –
LB Jeremy Chinn Hip Limited Limited Limited –
CB Donte Jackson Toe Limited Full Full –
LB Adarius Taylor Hip Limited Limited Limited –
WR Curtis Samuel Elbow Full Full Full –

Coach Matt Rhule told reporters today that Chris Reed will continue starting at left guard whether Daley can play or not. Reed played well last week against the Chargers.

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Panthers injury updates: Russell Okung, Derrick Brown return to practice

Here is the updated Week 4 injury report.

The Carolina Panthers appear to be getting healthier as the week goes on. Starting left tackle Russell Okung returned to practice today after sitting out Wednesday due to the groin injury that kept him sidelined for Sunday’s win over the Chargers. Also, defensive tackle Kawann Short has been participating all week following two missed games due to his foot injury.

Here is the updated Week 4 injury report.

Player Injury Wed Thu Fri Status
OT Russell Okung Groin DNP Limited
DT Kawann Short Foot Limited Full
OL Dennis Daley Ankle Limited Limited
DE Yetur Gross-Matos Illness DNP DNP
DT Derrick Brown NIR DNP Full
LB Jeremy Chinn Hip Limited Limited
CB Donte Jackson Toe Limited Full
LB Adarius Taylor Hip Limited Limited
WR Curtis Samuel Elbow Full Full

No matter how we may feel about his Twitter account, Okung is an important piece for this offense. The Panthers wound up rotating Greg Little and Trent Scott on the blindside last week with disappointing results. They’ll need Okung out there to help contain Arizona’s elite edge rusher Chandler Jones.

In theory, getting Short back into the lineup should help add to the momentum the defensive line started building against LA.

On another positive note, Brown missed the first practice of the week due to the birth of his child but was back on the field today. Congratulations!

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Panthers injury updates: Kawann Short, Dennis Daley doubtful vs. Chargers

While it’s not quite as bad as that, this 2020 version of Carolina is suffering, as well.

The Panthers have been hit hard by injuries for the second straight September. Last year, it was quarterback Cam Newton and defensive tackle Kawann Short, who both went down for the season after Week 2. While it’s not quite as bad as that, this 2020 version of Carolina is suffering, as well. Earlier this week, the team placed All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve. While he can return in three weeks, it won’t matter much if they keep hurting in the trenches like this.

Both Short and left guard Dennis Daley are doubtful to play in Sunday’s game against the Chargers and another starting lineman is listed as questionable. Here’s this week’s complete injury report.

Player Injury Wed Thu Fri Status
OT Russell Okung Groin – DNP Full Questionable
DT Kawann Short Foot DNP DNP DNP Doubtful
OL Dennis Daley Ankle DNP DNP DNP Doubtful
G John Miller Ankle/Groin Limited Full Full –
DE Yetur Gross-Matos Concussion Limited Full Full –
DE Brian Burns Thigh Limited Full Full –

Assuming Short and Daley don’t play, expect Michael Schofield to continue starting at left guard and Zach Kerr at defensive tackle in the spot next to Derrick Brown.

As for Russell Okung, the Panthers have two options to take over at left tackle if he’s inactive. Greg Little was their second-round pick in last year’s draft and he only played four games as a rookie due to injuries. Seeing where Little is at and getting him reps is probably the best option.

Carolina could also put Trenton Scott in Okung’s place, as he did last season for the Chargers when Okung had his medical issues. Scott started nine games for LA in 2019, which gives him the experience edge over Little. He had issues with penalties though, drawing eight flags for the season in 827 offensive snaps.

It’s encouraging that Okung was a full participant, though. Okung will likely play along with Burns, Miller and Gross-Matos.

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