Tag: Matt Corral

Bill Belichick mum on Matt Corral’s spot in QB room

Will Matt Corral be the top backup QB for the Patriots? Coach Bill Belichick commented on the recent addition to the QB room.

Matt Corral is the latest addition into the New England Patriots quarterback room, and up to this point, coach Bill Belichick has not confirmed whether he would have the top backup role to Mac Jones for the team’s season-opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Corral spent his first couple of seasons with the Carolina Panthers. He was selected by the team in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft. He was injured in a preseason game, ironically against the Patriots, and missed the entire season.

Now, he’s being thrust into New England’s quarterback competition.

However, so far, his role is undefined. Belichick would not give any additional insight into what that role would be when speaking with media members on Monday, as transcribed by NESN.com’s Sean T. McGuire.

“Yeah, I don’t know what to tell you,” said Belichick. “He hasn’t even been on the field yet, so yeah, we’ll see.”

The Patriots backup quarterback role remains a bit of a mystery. If there is one certainty about it, it’s that Corral is very much in the picture.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

First images emerge of QB Matt Corral in Patriots gear

Here’s the first look of QB Matt Corral in a Patriots jersey.

The New England Patriots returned to the practice field on Monday, and they had a new backup quarterback on the field.

Matt Corral, the second-year quarterback that was claimed off waivers after being released by the Carolina Panthers, was on the field in a Patriots jersey for the first time.

There has been talk of Corral potentially being the new No. 2 quarterback option behind Mac Jones, but the team has yet to confirm what direction they’ll ultimately go in ahead of their season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. They could also opt to promote Bailey Zappe from the practice squad and slot him back into the primary backup role until Corral gets up to speed with the offense.

Corral would be a more versatile option than Zappe under center, which might actually be better for the Patriots considering their offensive line issues. The former Ole Miss quarterback has the ability to scramble around and turn seemingly broken plays into positive gains.

His ceiling is always higher as a third-round draft pick coming off a season-ending foot injury. No one knows what Corral could be in the NFL. That alone makes the signing one of the more intriguing acquisitions up to this point.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Former Panthers WR Shi Smith works out for Patriots on Friday

The Patriots, who nabbed Matt Corral on Thursday, seem to have their eyes on another former Panther.

Bill Belichick has his eyes on another recent Carolina Panthers draft pick.

Per the league’s transaction wire, the New England Patriots officially had wideout Shi Smith in for a workout on Friday. This interesting little development comes right after they claimed quarterback Matt Corral, whom the Panthers placed on waivers this past Wednesday.

Smith was one of three sixth-round picks by Carolina in 2021. He was also one of 11 total picks from that spring by former head coach Matt Rhule and company, who tied a franchise record for most selections in a class.

A Union, S.C. native, Smith attended the University of South Carolina from 2017 to 2020. There, he reeled in 174 passes for 2,204 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Over his two-year NFL career, the 5-foot-10, 190-pounder has recorded 400 receiving yards and a pair of scores on 28 receptions. He was Carolina’s primary punt returner during the 2022 campaign, fielding 23 tries for a total of 143 yards.

Smith was waived this past week in the team’s cutdown to its initial 53-man roster.

[lawrence-related id=680231,680222,680166]

5 takeaways from Matt Corral signing in regards to Bailey Zappe

What does the Matt Corral signing mean for Bailey Zappe? Here are five takeaways.

The New England Patriots’ signing of former Carolina Panthers quarterback Matt Corral has left more questions than answers for a team that typically marches to the beat of its own drum.

Coach Bill Belichick made the shocking decision to cut the Patriots’ No. 2 quarterback, Bailey Zappe, and rookie backup Malik Cunningham on Tuesday. That move alone left Mac Jones as the lone quarterback on the roster with less than two weeks away from the regular season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.

There was panic, pandemonium and straight up confusion regarding the team’s direction for the season.

On Wednesday, Belichick re-signed both Zappe and Cunningham to the practice squad, before signing Corral to the main roster on Thursday. Is Corral Zappe’s new replacement? Does this mean Zappe is officially on borrowed time in New England?

Let’s delve into those questions and more with this latest roster shake-up from the Patriots.

Patriots were only team to put in claim on Matt Corral

Per MMQB’s Albert Breer, the Patriots were the only team to put in a claim on former Panthers QB Matt Corral.

The only thing that may have stood in the way of a reunion between Matt Corral and the Carolina Panthers was the very team who helped unite them in the first place.

According to MMQB senior NFL reporter Albert Breer, the New England Patriots were the only team to put a waiver claim in on the 24-year-old quarterback by Thursday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline. Corral, of course, would be awarded to New England after the Panthers parted ways with their 2022 third-round pick on Wednesday.

As noted by Breer, Corral might’ve already had a few fans in the building over at Foxboro—even despite if those fans helped the Panthers land him in the 2022 NFL draft. And ironically enough, that’s exactly where his rookie campaign came to an abrupt halt—as he sustained a season-ending Lisfranc injury in the Panthers’ preseason matchup with the Patriots last summer.

Since then, the former Ole Miss star has appeared in three exhibition outings—having completed 28 of his 47 passing attempts for 249 yards and an interception. That work, and what preceded it, seemed to be enough for New England.

[lawrence-related id=680147,680143,680211]

Former Panthers WR Damiere Byrd knew Patriots would claim Matt Corral

Former Panthers WR Damiere Byrd probably wasn’t shocked when his former boss picked up his former teammate on Thursday.

Former Carolina Panthers wide receiver Damiere Byrd is also former New England Patriots wide receiver Damiere Byrd. So, he knows a thing or two about Bill Belichick.

Byrd, in fact, had a feeling that the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach was going to claim an old teammate of his . . .

On Thursday, the Patriots hit up the waiver wire to claim Corral—who was let go by the Panthers the previous afternoon. And even despite waiving the 24-year-old quarterback, both head coach Frank Reich and general manager Scott Fitterer were hoping to get him back in the building.

Alas, Belichick did the Belichick thing and swooped in on the player he helped get to Carolina in the first place. The Panthers’ trade-up for the Ole Miss star in the 2022 draft was facilitated by New England, who gave up the 94th overall pick in exchange for 137th selection and a 2023 third-rounder.

Fast forward just over a year later and the Patriots have every single part of that deal—Corral, Bailey Zappe and linebacker Marte Mapu. And Byrd, who probably wasn’t the only one who sensed the move, apparently knew it all along.

[lawrence-related id=680143,680141,680124]

Twitter reacts to Patriots claiming former Panthers QB Matt Corral

Bill Belichick did a Bill Belichick thing on Thursday by claiming Matt Corral, whom he helped send to the Panthers a year ago.

Last spring, the New England Patriots facilitated the Carolina Panthers’ selection of Matt Corral—sending over the 94th pick of the 2022 draft as the vessel for the Ole Miss quarterback. A few months later, in a painful twist, the rookie’s season would end in Foxboro—as he sustained a Lisfranc injury in the preseason matchup between the two teams.

Now, a third connection has been made.

In a typical Bill Belichick move, the Patriots claimed Corral off waivers on Thursday. And, of course, Twitter had quite the reaction to the irony of it all . . .

Panthers add Derek Wright, Chandler Wooten to practice squad

WR Derek Wright and LB Chandler Wooten are back as members of the Panthers’ practice squad.

The Carolina Panthers might not have been able to keep Matt Corral around, but they were still able to bring back a pair of their own.

As announced on Thursday, the team has signed wide receiver Derek Wright and linebacker Chandler Wooten to their practice squad. The two, along with Corral, were waived on Wednesday to make room for the roster additions of offensive lineman Calvin Throckmorton, linebacker Claudin Cherelus and cornerback D’Shawn Jamison.

Wright initially joined the organization as an undrafted free agent out of Utah State University in the spring of 2022. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound pass catcher spent the entirety of his first pro season as a member of the practice squad.

Wooten was signed by the Panthers off the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad in the middle of last season. He appeared in nine games, primarily on special teams, totaling one tackle and a forced fumble.

The returns of Wright and Wooten bring the practice squad’s official count to 13 players.

[lawrence-related id=680124,680112,680031]

Report: Patriots claim former third-round pick QB on waivers

The Patriots are reportedly adding a fourth quarterback.

The New England Patriots have reportedly added a fourth quarterback to the room with the team claiming former Carolina Panthers signal-caller Matt Corral on waivers.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the move on Thursday.

Corral, a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, suffered a season-ending injury as a rookie. He initially made the Panthers’ 53-man roster this season, but he was ultimately cut by the team on Wednesday.

There was hope within Carolina that he could take over the mantle as the starter, but the injury happened and the team ended up with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft. Bryce Young was sitting there for the taking, and the rest is history.

Corral is an SEC quarterback that finished with strong numbers in his final season at Ole Miss, throwing for a career-high 3,349 yards, 20 touchdowns and only five interceptions. He also rushed for 614 yards and 11 touchdowns. So he’s clearly capable of getting the job done through the air and on the ground.

If anything, his presence adds even more pressure to backup Bailey Zappe to step it up, while also giving offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien a potential quarterback project to develop.

The Patriots are always full of surprises this time of the year, and they didn’t disappoint by bringing a player like Corral into the mix.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

The Patriots just embarrassed the Panthers for their 2022 draft-day trade to take Matt Corral

How does Bill Belichick keep doing this?!

People always wonder why the New England Patriots always seem to get the upper hand on any NFL trade. Thursday’s news is a great reason as to why.

The Patriots claimed quarterback Matt Corral on waivers on Thursday to back up Mac Jones after he was cut by the Carolina Panthers just a year after he was drafted.

That might not seem like a big deal past Carolina whiffing on Corral as a long-term option, but you have to consider how the Panthers got the pick they used on the former Ole Miss quarterback.

Back in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Panthers traded with the Patriots to snag Corral in the third round and sent the team’s original third in 2023 and a 2022 fourth-round pick back to New England in exchange.

With those picks, the Patriots drafted quarterback Bailey Zappe in 2022 and linebacker Marte Mapu in 2023. Now, New England has Corral, too, which basically means the Panthers just gave away picks to the Patriots for no return in retrospect.

They say the NFL is a tough business, and they’re certainly not wrong. The Panthers traded to get a player in the draft that they waived just a year or so later, and the Patriots now have that player, as well as two other players.

If you’re ever curious about how Bill Belichick does it, don’t overthink it. Sometimes, he just gets lucky when another team waves a white flag.