4 biggest winners from Panthers’ preseason finale vs. Bills

Let’s pick some winners from the Panthers’ preseason victory over the Bills on Saturday.

The Carolina Panthers ended their preseason on a high note, defeating the Buffalo Bills in their final exhibition on Saturday afternoon.

So, for one last time this summer, let’s pick some winners from the 31-26 victory . . .

Starting offense

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It may have taken until the very last preseason game, but we finally got our sneak peek at quarterback Bryce Young and (most of) the starting offense. And boy, it was worth the wait.

Young led a clean 12-play, 85-yard touchdown drive on the game’s opening possession—completing six of his eight throws for 70 yards. The charge was capped off by an 8-yard reception in the end zone by tight end Jordan Matthews, who also reeled in an 8-yarder to begin the trek.

In all, Young connected with a total of five pass catchers on the drive—including wideouts Diontae Johnson (17 yards), Adam Thielen (21 yards) and Jonathan Mingo (3 yards) as well as rookie tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders (13 yards). So while this was just one touch in an exhibition game against Buffalo’s backups, it sure was nice to see a functioning offense—especially with Bryce on the field.

QB Jack Plummer

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Young wasn’t the only Panthers quarterback who impressed this afternoon.

Plummer put forth his most poised and polished preseason performance of the summer, completing 21 of his 29 chucks for 278 yards and two scores. The undrafted rookie’s efforts helped the Panthers finish with 414 yards of total offense and four touchdowns, after coming in with only 307 total yards and one touchdown in their previous two summer contests combined.

Unfortunately for Plummer, his chances of making the team’s initial 53-man roster remain slim. But at least he put together some eye-opening tape to punctuate off his busy offseason—whether that leads to Carolina’s practice squad or to another NFL locker room.

WR Terrace Marshall Jr.

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One of Plummer’s touchdowns ended up in the hands of Marshall Jr., who finished with three receptions for 39 yards. His score wasn’t a cheapie either, as he fought through a pair of would-be tacklers for a 15-yard trip to the end zone.

The 2021 second-round pick has been battling for one of the final spots in the team’s receiving room, a fight that features veteran David Moore—who has previous ties to head coach Dave Canales from both Seattle and Tampa Bay. Marshall Jr. may also have to fend off Ihmir Smith-Marsette, who sustained an ankle injury during the game.

RB Mike Boone

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Boone proved he was much more than just a body this summer.

The 29-year-old rusher racked up 20 yards and a touchdown on four carries. He has now ended preseason play with 76 rushing yards on 18 attempts, good enough for a solid 4.2 yards per tote.

With Canales’ intent on establishing the run as well as the early absence of rookie and second-round pick Jonathon Brooks, Boone may have earned himself the backfield’s No. 3 role behind Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders.

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4 bubble players who have improved their chances to make Panthers’ initial 53-man roster

Here are four Panthers who have really improved their chances of making the team’s initial 53-man roster:

With just one preseason game left, the Carolina Panthers are currently working through a crucial week in evaluating their 90-man roster. And by the time that week is done, the roster will 37 men lighter.

By 4:00 p.m. ET on Aug. 27, all NFL teams must cut down to 53 players. Unfortunately, perhaps especially to those who have really impressed this offseason, that means a lot of guys will be looking for new opportunities.

But which Panthers, particularly the ones on the bubble, have made their cases to stick on by the end of next Tuesday?

Here are four players who have most improved their chances of making Carolina’s initial 53-man roster:

RB Mike Boone

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Boone has come out of nowhere to make his case.

The early feeling around Carolina’s backfield was that it would include Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders and Raheem Blackshear as the top three rushers out of the gate. Second-round pick Jonathon Brooks, who remains on the active/non-football injury list, would then factor in upon his return.

But now, Boone may have a lane into the backend of the group. The 29-year-old has amassed 56 yards on 14 carries as well as three receptions for 13 more yards—showing patience and good vision in the backfield along with the shiftiness to create chunk plays.

WR Terrace Marshall Jr.

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Marshall Jr.’s NFL career has been nothing if not consistent—but not in a great way. He’ll create some buzz during training camp and preseason, and then underwhelm once the real games begin.

Year No. 4 has been no different, at least through the first phase. Marshall Jr. seems to be making strides in practices, showing he can win at the line of scrimmage and be more consistent as a route runner.

The talent is there. He’s a big receiver at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, with the length and ball skills to make things happen any time the ball is thrown his way.

So while Marshall’s future is still up in the air, his improvement will be tough to overlook for head coach Dave Canales and company.

iDL T.J. Smith

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The Panthers are looking for someone to step up alongside Pro Bowler Derrick Brown in 2024. And although they signed A’Shawn Robinson and have a handful of solid linemen returning this season, one unlikely man has emerged as a potential option.

That’s Smith, who has played some productive football in the team’s first two preseason outings. In fact, he leads the defense with a pair of sacks going into the finale on Saturday.

The 6-foot-3, 300-pounder fashions himself as a true five-technique who can create disruption and generate pressure. His explosiveness and ability to gain leverage has allowed him to get into the backfield quickly and create chaos.

There is a reason to believe that the former Razorback could be one of five defensive linemen on the final roster after next week’s cuts. If not, he has a clear path to being a quality player on the practice squad.

CB D’Shawn Jamison

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After opening some eyes as a rookie last season, Jamison has stood out this summer.

While the former Texas Longhorn is listed at just 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, he plays much bigger than his billing. He’s physical, competitive and aggressive at the catch point—traits that may qualify him to be one of general manager Dan Morgan’s “dawgs.”

Jamison also has value as a special teams player, both in coverage and as a returner. He fielded a pair of kickoffs in the preseason opener, taking both attempts for 26-yard runs.

With projected starter Dane Jackson out for an extended period due to a hamstring injury, Jamison is making his case to play on Sundays once again.

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News, notes and takes from Thursday’s joint practice between Panthers and Jets

Contributor Jared Feinberg gives his top notes and biggest takeaways after attending Thursday’s joint practice between the Panthers and Jets.

Not only was this morning’s training camp session the final one of the summer for the Carolina Panthers, but it was also their biggest.

For the second time in as many years, the team hosted a joint practice with the New York Jets. And, as expected, the competitive juices weren’t just flowing—they were flooding.

Here, from my visit to Thursday’s outing, are the top notes and takes on the day:

Panthers offense turns in their first great day of camp

The biggest storyline heading into Thursday’s highly-anticipated practice was how the offense would perform against a well-regarded Jets defense. With wide receiver Diontae Johnson out with a mild groin strain, Carolina and their new scheme hoped to snap out of the recent lull.

To my surprise, the offense performed well in multiple competitive drills that included one-on-one, seven-on-seven, 11-on-11 and two-minute drills. It seems that head coach Dave Canales has an attack that allows his receivers to get open and perform on rhythm. It helps when quarterback Bryce Young is on time, accurate, making off-platform throws and putting passes where he wanted them to go.

Young had his best day of camp, in my opinion. It was impressive to watch him navigate through the pocket and work through his progressions. He made great decisions with the ball and never put it in harm’s way against a talented New York defense.

Despite injuries to their overall depth and a couple of key starters, the Panthers offensive line gave their second-year signal caller enough time to get the ball out on time. Austin Corbett, who has been handling his transition from guard to center, had his best practice as well. The bad snaps were non-existent and his execution was steady.

One thing that I’ve come to notice is how little noise there has been on left tackle Ikem Ekwonu. I wanted to see for myself if he had continued to show improvement since Fan Fest and, sure enough, he has been consistent at Young’s blindside.

Defense holds its own against Aaron Rodgers, Jets offense

At age 40, Aaron Rodgers looked like the same player he was before he tore his Achilles last year. Yet, it was the defense that looked impressive in team drills.

Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero’s group created five takeaways, including four interceptions against all of the Jets quarterbacks. Interior defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson forced a fumble via the “Peanut Punch” at the goal line during a red zone team drill. Rookie linebacker Trevin Wallace continued to have a solid camp, having been one of the Panthers to snag an interception against Rodgers.

Wallace’s biggest issue right now is he’s thinking more than he is doing, which means he’s too focused on pondering during plays. Once he does more reacting, there will be a clear sign of progression this fall.

Defensive backs Alex Cook and D’Shawn Jamison continued their standout camps. Both had an interception and made plays on the ball.

Despite his smaller frame, Jamison plays with physicality, discipline and aggression—showing he has a case to make the final 53-man roster at the end of the month. He did, however, have some missteps—including some pass interference and holding calls.

Carolina’s safety room is deep with talent and could be the strongest one on the roster. While Xavier Woods is out with a groin injury, Jordan Fuller and Nick Scott have closed off the deep halves of the field. Along with Cook, fellow youngster Demani Richardson has stood out as well.

Pass rusher Eku Leota could be an impact player for the Panthers defense this fall. He won some one-on-one reps in individual and team drills against the Jets’ offensive tackles.

Evero’s defense looks to be a strong unit again in 2024. It’s aggressive, physical and disciplined. You rarely see someone out of position in zone coverage or man assignments.

I don’t expect this unit to be put in impossible situations like it did last season, where there was zero margin for error. With an improved offense, Carolina’s defense could play close to its potential.

Injuries continue to hamper the Panthers

In a sport like football, injuries are bound to happen. Unfortunately for the Panthers, they’ve been hit with quite the bug.

Some notable injuries include Woods (groin), cornerback Dane Jackson (hamstring injury) and guard Chandler Zavala (hamstring).

With Jackson now out for about six weeks, that adds more pressure to the group behind star cornerback Jaycee Horn. Jamison, Lamar Jackson and Dicaprio Bootle are the top remaining players at the spot.

(I feel this could be a prime opportunity for the Panthers to sign veteran Stephon Gilmore to ease those depth concerns should Horn go down himself.)

The offensive line has not had all five projected starters on the field together outside of a few practices due to injuries or other absences. Their depth has been battered with injuries, short- or long-term. The wavier wire will be very popular and crucial at not just the line, but at other positions as well.

Extra notes

  • Wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. had his best day of the summer. In team drills, the fourth-year pass catcher grabbed two impressive touchdowns with his quality ball skills. The talent is there, but has never come together on the field. It’s unclear whether he makes the final roster or not. Yet, practices and preseason games like today help his case.
  • Running back Mike Boone continues to stand out. The Charlotte Observer’s Mike Kaye pointed out his value on special teams coverage, as a receiver and as an overall runner. With rookie Jonathon Brooks likely to remain on the sidelines to start the season, Boone’s chances to make the roster look good.
  • Furthermore, on the Panthers offensive scheme, it seems there will be more motion and usage of crossing routes and creative concepts. The difference between last year’s system under Frank Reich and this year’s under Canales is astounding.
  • It is still unclear whether Canales will have his starters play Saturday night in the second preseason game. It shouldn’t come as a surprise if they don’t—but with the amount of injuries that have piled up amongst their depth, the starters could see some playing time. If not, look for all of them to play in the third and final preseason game next week against the Buffalo Bills.

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Punches thrown in heated joint practice between Panthers and Jets

Some fists were flying during Thursday’s joint practice between the Panthers and Jets.

Ding, ding.

In what may be the least surprising development of any joint practice in NFL history, squabbles and skirmishes were abound between the Carolina Panthers and New York Jets on Thursday morning.

The first fit of fisticuffs went down when Panthers wideout Terrace Marshall Jr. bested Jets cornerback D.J. Reed on a fade ball from quarterback Bryce Young. After the fourth-year receiver reeled in the pass for an impressive touchdown, he flipped the ball at Reed.

Reed, of course, didn’t take too kindly to the gesture. Things got heated, the teams convened and Reed proceeded to even fling the ball at Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard.

Then, a second scuffle would break out—this time, between Panthers running back Mike Boone and Jets defensive lineman Michael Clemons. Per Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer, Clemons took a swing on Boone and Boone would reciprocate with an attempt of his own . . .

And if two fights weren’t enough, then how about a third . . . ?

Welcome to the dog dawg days of summer!

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Panthers HC Dave Canales names his standouts from preseason opener

Panthers HC Dave Canales listed a few of his standouts from Thursday’s loss to the Patriots.

So, who caught Dave Canales’ eye (at least when it was open) on Thursday night?

The Carolina Panthers head coach chatted with media following Sunday’s practice. He was asked which of his players he believed “took a jump” during the team’s preseason opener against the New England Patriots.

“I thought D’Shawn Jamison did a great job,” Canales replied. “He made some plays defensively. He let one big one get outta there. And on that play—which was really cool—Trevin Wallace, from the backside, ran it down, knocked the guy out at the 3-yard line.”

Jamison, one of the defense’s top backup cornerbacks, played 33 defensive snaps during the outing. Per Pro Football Focus, he allowed four receptions for 54 yards on eight targets—good enough for a solid 74.5 grade in coverage.

The second-year defensive back also showed off some chops on special teams, returning two kickoffs for a combined 52 yards.

Canales went on to name a few more standouts.

“Alex Cook had a fantastic preseason game,” he added. “He tackled well in the open field. I was excited to see that. Eku Leota just played so hard, and gave effort in all phases there.

“Offensively, it was great to see Mike Boone have a couple of nice runs and just kinda see a guy that we can trust as we put our whole thing together.”

Cook recorded a team-high six tackles while Leota registered four pressures. Boone led the Panthers with 34 rushing yards on eight attempts.

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Miles Sanders speaks on Panthers’ chemistry, competition at RB

Miles Sanders was asked about the chemistry and competition in Carolina’s crowded RB room.

Around this time last year, Miles Sanders was the guy of the Carolina Panthers’ running back room. And now, he’s just one of the guys.

Sanders spoke with reporters following Tuesday’s session of mandatory minicamp. He was asked about his impressions of the new offensive scheme under first-year head coach Dave Canales.

“Lookin’ at the new scheme—we’re gonna run the ball, we gon’ run the ball, we gon’ run the ball, we gon’ run the ball. And we’re gonna create a lot of opportunities for the guys that we have to get the ball in their hands. And it’s gonna be a fun year. It’s gonna be a very fun year.”

Some of those guys may include Sanders’ backfield mates—more specifically, last year’s leading rusher Chuba Hubbard and this year’s second-round pick Jonathon Brooks. So with quite a few mouths to feed at the position, Sanders was asked about the chemistry of the crowded spot.

“We had chemistry since I got in here last year starting with Chuba and Raheem [Blackshear],” he replied. “And now we got Jonathon, we got a couple of other new guys, we got [Rashaad] Penny, Penny in there too and [Mike] Boone. The guys are great. We all get along very well. We compete real good. And the chemistry in there, we all help each other to learn to the playbook.”

Sanders, who signed a four-year, $25.4 million deal with the Panthers last offseason, is coming off career-lows in starts (five), attempts (129) and rushing yards (432).

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Panthers sign 11 players to future deals on Monday

The Panthers have signed 11 members of their practice squad to future deals.

Carolina Panthers assistant general manager Dan Morgan began the organization’s transition from Scott Fitterer on Monday.

In addition to signing tight end Stephen Sullivan and defensive linemen Nick Thurman and LaBryan Ray to one-year extensions, the team also brought back 11 practice squad members on future deals.

Here are those 11 players:

Panthers sign J.D. DiRenzo to active roster, Mike Boone to practice squad

To fill Jonathan Mingo’s vacancy, the Panthers have signed G J.D. DiRenzo to their active roster while adding RB Mike Boone to the practice squad.

The Carolina Panthers had some adjustments to make this afternoon upon placing wide receiver Jonathan Mingo on injured reserve.

Taking Mingo’s place on the active roster is fellow rookie J.D. DiRenzo. The 6-foot-6, 315-pound guard was elevated from the practice squad to the game day roster in each of the past three weeks.

DiRenzo appeared in two of those three outings, recording four offensive snaps in the Week 15 win over the Atlanta Falcons and just one in the Week 16 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Each look, per Pro Football Focus, came as an extra blocker along the Carolina offensive line.

With DiRenzo now up, the Panthers have signed running back Mike Boone to take the hog molly’s place on their practice squad.

The 5-foot-10, 206-pound rusher has accumulated six NFL seasons—having spent time with the Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos and Houston Texans. He played in nine games for Houston this season, totaling 23 rushing yards on five attempts along with seven receptions for another 40 yards.

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Texans Week 13 inactives: Dalton Schultz notably OUT vs. Broncos

Texans TE Dalton Schultz has been ruled out for Sunday’s game vs. Broncos.

The Houston Texans released their inactives for their Week 13 matchup against the Denver Broncos before kickoff on Sunday.

Quarterback Case Keenum, wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson, running back Mike Boone, defensive end Myjai Sanders, guard Nick Broeker and tight end Dalton Schultz were listed as inactive for the contest.

Keenum, Sanders and Broeker respectively have often found themselves inactive for this season. Boone has served exclusively in a backup capacity at running back while assisting on special teams. Hutchinson, albeit occasionally featured, has struggled to climb the depth chart as a sixth-round rookie in Houston’s talented passing offense.

Schultz stands alone as a major inactive for the Texans. His capable blocking and natural connection with rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud have been a key element to Houston’s passing game. In his place, tight end Brevin Jordan will be asked to step up.

The Texans and Broncos kick things off at 12 p.m. CT on CBS.

Texans have 4 former Broncos set to face their old team

Several former Broncos will face off against their former team on Sunday, including fullback Andrew Beck and running back Mike Boone.

When the Denver Broncos go on the road to face the Houston Texans this week, they will see some familiar faces.

Texans fullback Andrew Beck, who played for the Broncos from 2019-2022, has one rushing touchdown and one kickoff return for a touchdown this season.

Houston running back Mike Boone, who played in Denver from 2021-2022, has five carries and seven receptions this season. Boone has also returned four kickoffs.

Texans tight end Eric Saubert, who played for the Broncos from 2021-2022, is yet to catch a pass this season. Houston backup quarterback Case Keenum, who played in Denver in 2018, has only appeared in two games, completing two passes.

The Texans also have a former member of the Broncos’ coaching staff in tight ends coach Jake Moreland, who held that role in Denver last year.

Earlier this year, Houston also rostered former Broncos cornerback Darius Phillips and ex-Denver tight end Eric Tomlinson during training camp, but Phillips and Tomlinson failed to make the Texans’ 53-man roster this summer.

Beck, who has 236 snaps on offense and 128 snaps on special teams this year, will likely have the biggest role among ex-Broncos players this weekend.