Tag: Keith Taylor

Studs and duds from the Panthers’ Week 6 loss to Vikings

Sam Darnold has now thrown six interceptions over his last three games.

If we wanted to be extra cheeky, we’d put down “80 percent of this game” as a dud for the Carolina Panthers in their 34-28 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. But we’ll be a tad more astute in our observations than that.

So here are the actual studs and duds from a largely dispiriting performance from the home team in Week 6.

Stud: Keith Taylor

Taylor’s play over the past two weeks has him emerging as yet another promising corner on this roster. The rookie racked up a team-high 10 tackles with three pass deflections on the day.

He also did a fine job matching up with Vikings wideout Justin Jefferson.

Dud: Sam Darnold

Darnold didn’t get much help from his receivers, who were charged with six combined drops. But Sam didn’t help his case much either.

The erratic side of him prevailed once again, as he completed 17 of his 41 attempts for 207 yards, one touchdown, an interception and a lost fumble. He also, in a different kind of brain fart, tried to call two timeouts in a row on a single snap.

Over his last two games, Darnold has connected on just 48.7 percent of his passes for 384 yards alongside four interceptions.

Stud: Chuba Hubbard

The only bright spot for the offense, at least in the box score, was the rookie back. Hubbard is looking more comfortable by the week, which is great news for a team that’ll be without Christian McCaffrey for at least two more games.

He, again, ran with patience, hit the right holes with burst and generated extra yardage with his strong footwork throughout. Chuba finished his outing with 61 yards and his first career touchdown on 16 carries.

Dud: Robby Anderson

For what seems like a few reasons, this is not the same Robby we’re used to seeing. Anderson caught just three passes on 11 targets for, sheesh, 11 yards.

One of those was the touchdown on the late game-tying drive, but that was hardly a consolation for his poor outing. The sixth-year pass catcher had a hard time with his hands and a hard time getting the attention of his buddy Sam.

Anderson has failed to at least hit the 60-yard mark in each of the season’s six games.

Stud: Haason Reddick

If crowning a team MVP after six games is a thing, Reddick would take that thing in a landslide. The 2021 free-agent addition continued his phenomenal campaign, racking up eight tackles with three of them going for a loss.

Dud: Matt Rhule

The Panthers have fallen into a rut. And, yeah, that’s easy to say when you’ve lost three straight games.

But much of this team’s edge has seemingly softened. The defense is being overwhelmed and the offense has to go back to the drawing board to find its identity moving forward.

That, of course, falls on the head coach. Carolina’s planning, game management and execution must sharpen up.

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Carolina Panthers vs. Minnesota Vikings game recap: Everything we know

Here’s everything you need to know about the Panthers’ ugly, odd and sad Week 6 loss to the Vikings.

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What went up has now come down for the Carolina Panthers in the first six games of the 2021 season. A 3-0 start has, in cringeworthy fashion, been leveled out by an ugly trio of outings.

Here’s how the latest defeat, this time to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 6, went down.

Panthers injury update: S Kenny Robinson ruled out vs. Ravens

S Kenny Robinson (knee) is the latest Panthers defensive back to go down with a preseason injury.

Soon after cornerback Keith Taylor sustained an apparent shoulder injury, the Carolina Panthers were forced to deal with yet another health scare from the secondary. This time, it was with safety Kenny Robinson.

Early in the third quarter of Saturday night’s game, Robinson remained on the turf following an assisted tackle of Baltimore Ravens running back Nate McCrary. He was helped off the field and later ruled out.

Robinson was brought to the blue tent upon being aided off and had his knee subsequently wrapped in ice. He joins Taylor and cornerback Troy Pride Jr., who will not return at all in 2021, as defensive backs on the injury list.

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Panthers injury update: CB Keith Taylor bangs up shoulder

Panthers CB Keith Taylor exited Saturday night’s preseason game with a shoulder injury.

The Carolina Panthers have already lost one of its cornerbacks to injury, as  Troy Pride Jr. will miss the entirety of the 2021 season after undergoing ACL surgery. Luckily, Keith Taylor probably won’t be headed for the same kind of fate.

Taylor went down late in the first half of Saturday’s preseason tilt with the Baltimore Ravens after a tackle of wideout Ty’Son Williams. He got to the sideline under his own power and was trying to stretch out his right shoulder following the hit.

The 2021 fifth-rounder returned to the sideline at the start of the second half, still in uniform and equipped with a resistance band to loosen up the shoulder. His status is unknown, but likely won’t return to the game for precautionary measures.

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Panthers who benefited most from Tuesday’s roster cutdown

As six are headed out, which Panthers are now headed up after Tuesday’s roster adjustments?

The Carolina Panthers did some shaving down just ahead of Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline in order to hit the league’s mandated 85-man roster limit. In fact, they even got down to 84 just for good measure.

Ok, maybe not for “good measure,” but for good reason, as the season-ending injury to cornerback Troy Pride Jr. was a departure that was perhaps a bit premature. He and five others, as of now, are no longer active members of roster and, as weird is it may be to lay this down, that helps out a few men who are still around.

4 Panthers to watch in preseason kickoff against Colts

Second-year CB Troy Pride Jr. will be amongst those looking to stand out for the Panthers’ preseason opener on Sunday in Indianapolis.

You were probably excited to see some of your favorite Carolina Panthers take the field today, even if for a series or two, in their first preseason contest of 2021. But, being that head coach Matt Rhule has ruled out the prospect of rolling out much of his starting unit, you’ll have to dig a little deeper for players to watch.

So, we’ll help you out. (You’re very welcome)

Here are four guys who will be worth keeping an eye in Indianapolis on Sunday.

A.J. Bouye talks about helping Panthers’ younger cornerbacks

Cornerback underwent more of a radical transformation this offseason than any other position for the Carolina Panthers. 

Cornerback underwent more of a radical transformation this offseason than any other position for the Carolina Panthers.

Last year, Donte Jackson did admirable work despite fighting a foot injury most of the season. However, he was also the only corner who consistently performed well. That’s why general manager Scott Fitterer made overhauling the cornerback room his No. 1 priority on defense this year. After bringing in two rookies and two veterans, it’s fair to say that mission is accomplished.

This different crop has a new elder statesman in A.J. Bouye, who has eight seasons and 100 games of experience in the NFL. Bouye signed a team-friendly two-year deal with the Panthers and will be expected to start at Corn Elder’s former nickel spot. Another part of his job will be helping to develop a very young bunch of corners. Here’s what Bouye had to say about being the old guy in the group, per Darin Gantt at the team website.

“I realized when I was visiting teams this offseason that that label was starting to be put on me. . . I could have fought it. A few years ago I probably would have. But I also realize I’m not going to be in the league 20 years, so part of what I have to do is help the next generation of guys be ready, the same way guys helped me when I was young.”

Carolina has a lot riding on how well Bouye can cover the slot, as well as just how pro-ready first-round pick Jaycee Horn really is. If both can live up to expectations, the Panthers should have a strong secondary for the first time in what feels like ages.

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Panthers CB Donte Jackson on secondary: “We can be dominant”

Panthers CB Donte Jackson on secondary: “We can be dominant”

Carolina Panthers cornerback Donte Jackson has never minced words over the three years we’ve come to know him. So the ones he put out there on Wednesday shouldn’t be taken lightly.

“We can be dominant. We can be dominant, man,” Jackson confidently said when asked about the team’s additions at the corner position. “We have a group that not only are we fighting hard to learn the scheme and have the scheme down pat, we’re also fighting hard to be consistent and fighting hard to work hard on our detail and our craft. That’s the one thing we’ve been holding the group accountable for. Make sure we get our technique, make sure we get our detail work in.”

Jackson also alluded to the growth of the defense as a whole, stating the talent at linebacker and along the defensive line will only make the secondary’s job that much easier. The front office has inked proven veteran names such as Haason Reddick, Denzel Perryman, DaQuan Jones and Morgan Fox this offseason to juice up the group.

“For the team, especially with the front seven like we have, I think that this corner and this secondary group can be really, really special, man. I think we have all the pieces. We have the IQs in the backend, we have the physicality, we have the speed. It’s just gonna be all about detailing and coming in and just trying to be consistent and working.”

This might’ve been a stretch for anyone in the organization, let alone Jackson, to say about this unit last season. A year ago today, the Panthers secondary was almost exclusively filled up by rookies and practice squad-caliber players.

With an extra 12 months of improvement for their younger guys has, again, come some considerable reinforcements. Bringing on rookies Jaycee Horn and Keith Taylor as well as free agents A.J. Bouye and Rashaan Melvin has helped give Carolina a nice facelift as they continue their rebuilding process.

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Panthers CB Donte Jackson on secondary: “We can be dominant”

Panthers CB Donte Jackson on secondary: “We can be dominant”

Carolina Panthers cornerback Donte Jackson has never minced words over the three years we’ve come to know him. So the ones he put out there on Wednesday shouldn’t be taken lightly.

“We can be dominant. We can be dominant, man,” Jackson confidently said when asked about the team’s additions at the corner position. “We have a group that not only are we fighting hard to learn the scheme and have the scheme down pat, we’re also fighting hard to be consistent and fighting hard to work hard on our detail and our craft. That’s the one thing we’ve been holding the group accountable for. Make sure we get our technique, make sure we get our detail work in.”

Jackson also alluded to the growth of the defense as a whole, stating the talent at linebacker and along the defensive line will only make the secondary’s job that much easier. The front office has inked proven veteran names such as Haason Reddick, Denzel Perryman, DaQuan Jones and Morgan Fox this offseason to juice up the group.

“For the team, especially with the front seven like we have, I think that this corner and this secondary group can be really, really special, man. I think we have all the pieces. We have the IQs in the backend, we have the physicality, we have the speed. It’s just gonna be all about detailing and coming in and just trying to be consistent and working.”

This might’ve been a stretch for anyone in the organization, let alone Jackson, to say about this unit last season. A year ago today, the Panthers secondary was almost exclusively filled up by rookies and practice squad-caliber players.

With an extra 12 months of improvement for their younger guys has, again, come some considerable reinforcements. Bringing on rookies Jaycee Horn and Keith Taylor as well as free agents A.J. Bouye and Rashaan Melvin has helped give Carolina a nice facelift as they continue their rebuilding process.

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Measurables and percentiles for the Carolina Panthers’ 2021 draft class

So, with a little help from the prospect testing at their respective pro days, here are the measurables and percentiles for the Panthers’ 2021 draft class.

No NFL combine for the 2021 draft? No problem. The good folks over at MockDraftable.com were still able to piece together their yearly spider graphs of the incoming rookie crop.

So, with a little help from the prospect testing at their respective pro days, here are the measurables and percentiles for the Panthers’ 2021 draft class.

CB Jaycee Horn

In case you couldn’t tell, that’s a pretty freakish web. Horn will be able to cover plenty of rare air with his height, wingspan and jumps.

And if you still couldn’t tell how special of an athlete Horn is, check out his Relative Athletic Score (RAS) as well, where his 9.99 mark ranked second among all cornerbacks tested since 1987.

WR Terrace Marshall Jr.

Marshall’s got the hops too, which is even crazier considering he measures in at slightly over 6-foot-2. Like Horn, his above average athleticism is one of a few reasons general manager Scott Fitterer jumped on him in the second round.

OT Brady Christensen

While he doesn’t measure up favorably, Christensen is one hell of an athlete. (See a theme here yet?) Each of his athletic test results landed him in at least the 85th percentile.

TE Tommy Tremble

Tremble, noted primarily for his blocking at Notre Dame, will look to tap more into that high-end testing as a pass catcher at the next level.

RB Chuba Hubbard

Hubbard’s web isn’t as encompassing as the four teammates ahead of him, but it’s still quite solid. He’s a longer-bodied back with relatively good agility that’ll look to compete for the open reps behind Christian McCaffrey.

DT Daviyon Nixon

A defensive tackle with that type of length hitting a 4.9-second 40-yard dash with a 1.7-second 10-yard split? Woof.

CB Keith Taylor

Taylor fits right into that Seattle way of thinking Fitterer has brought over. They love them those tall defensive backs.

OG Deonte Brown

The 6-foot-3, 344-pound Brown was not brought on to be an athlete, and you don’t have to be when you’re a mountain of a man like this.

WR Shi Smith

Smith is pretty jumpy, with his broad and verticals hitting on the 66th and 57th percentiles, respectively. He’s fast as well, having clocked in his 40-yard dash at 4.46 seconds.

LS Thomas Fletcher

Long snappers are people too, but not worthy enough for spider graphs.

DT Phil Hoskins

Hoskins boasts some crazy quick splits for a defensive tackle at 6-foot-4 and 313 pounds. His tremendous 83-inch wingspan will also come in handy at the position when he attempts to bat down passes at the line scrimmage.

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