Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
The Panthers have started to trim down their roster for the 2021 regular season. Keep track of all the cuts here.
The Carolina Panthers will have until Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET to clean up their roster. Per league rules, the team must get down to 53 men for the upcoming regular season.
Keep track of all the cuts here.
[vertical-gallery id=639778]
Panthers bring on DL Frank Herron once again
Just 16 days after the team waived him to make room for a pair of undrafted rookies, the Carolina Panthers are bringing back defensive lineman Frank Herron.
The 26-year-old initially jumped on with the Panthers a little over a month ago, signing alongside running back Mikey Daniel and nose tackle P.J. Johnson in mid-April. Herron, again, would then be waived on May 10 as Carolina brought in linebacker Paddy Fisher and running back Spencer Brown.
The 6-foot-4, 305-pounder has played in seven NFL games, each with the Detroit Lions. He recorded 11 combined tackles (one for a loss) between the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
Defensive lineman Kendall Donnerson, as also announced by the team, was waived to now make way for Herron.
[vertical-gallery id=636932]
Panthers waive DL Frank Herron, sign 2 more
According to Monday’s waiver wire, the Carolina Panthers have parted ways with Frank Herron. This comes nearly one month after the team signed the 26-year-old defensive tackle.
Herron broke into the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the New England Patriots in the spring of 2018. The 6-foot-4, 305-pounder bounced around a number of practice squads before finally registering on-field action as a Detroit Lion over seven games from 2019 to 2020.
The waiver wire also noted the Panthers have signed two undrafted rookies of their own, bringing in Northwestern University linebacker Paddy Fisher and University of Alabama at Birmingham running back Spencer Brown.
Fisher, 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds, was a four-year starter for the Wildcats. He recorded 401 total tackles, 2.0 sacks and four interceptions.
A four-year standout as well, Brown rushed for 4,011 yards and 41 touchdowns in his collegiate career. He is the only player to be named Conference USA Championship Game MVP twice (2018 and 2020).
[vertical-gallery id=636554]
Last night, the team announced on their website that they’ve agreed to terms with the following players.
The Panthers picked up 11 new players in the 2021 NFL draft this year, their biggest class since the expansion in 1995.
That didn’t leave a whole lot of room on the roster for college free agents, but they have added a few. Last night, the team announced on their website that they’ve agreed to terms with the following players.
Kansas State and Northwestern each have some prospects worth knowing
The collegiate pro day circuit kicks off in earnest this week with several significant programs holding workouts and interviews for their aspiring NFL prospects.
Two of the pro days go down on Tuesday: Kansas State and Northwestern.
Kansas State doesn’t have any top-shelf prospects this year, but the Wildcats do have a couple of players worth knowing for Browns fans. Defensive end Wyatt Hubert plays every snap as if it’s life or death and has some impressive power and finishing ability. He’s not dissimilar to Cleveland’s Porter Gustin. Tight end Briley Moore, a one-year transfer from Northern Iowa, averaged over 13 yards per reception and has some growth potential.
Northwestern is one the Browns figure to pay close attention to the workout. Cornerback Greg Newsome is a talented cover man with productivity who needs to be in the conversation for the Browns’ first-round pick at No. 26 overall. Offensive tackle Rashawn Slater figures to already be off the board, and the pro day is the first time he’ll do anything football-related in well over a year after opting out of the 2020 season.
Another Northwestern player who could interest the Browns is linebacker Paddy Fisher. The four-year starter was an incredible college LB but didn’t necessarily show many physical attributes that translate to the NFL level. The pro day is a chance for Fisher to show he might have the athleticism to make the transition, or else he’s Scooby Wright 2.0.
Here are 10 linebackers at the 2021 Reese’s Senior Bowl for the Eagles to watch
The Philadelphia Eagles will have a new coaching staff in 2021 and that could allow for a newfound desire to place value on the linebacker position.
The NFL is a new game and gone are the years of running backs getting 40 carries per game, or defenses serving with three down-hill, thumping style linebackers on the roster.
Alex Singleton and T.J. Edwards have been solid but the Eagles need an athletic, playmaking linebacker who can flourish in pass coverage.
Some of college football’s top linebackers have converged onto Mobile for the Senior Bowl and we’ve provided 10 that the Eagles should keep an eye on.
The All-Big Ten Football Team was announced for the defensive side by the media and two Spartans have made it on the second team.
[jwplayer 7AxrkSS6-PROpJzTY]
The All-Big Ten Football Team was announced for the defensive side by the media and two Spartans have made it on. Linebacker Antjuan Simmons and cornerback Shakur Brown both made the second team as announced by the Big Ten today.
Simmons has had 75 tackles, one sack and two fumble recoveries so far this season. He has more tackles this season than Micah McFadden and Paddy Fisher, both of whom made the first team. Simmons has truly been the leader of this defense for the Spartans, and I see a lot of Luke Kuechly in him. A linebacker who can read the play, make any tackle and pump up the team when needed. Simmons will have at least one more game to show why NFL teams should draft him in April.
Brown has 25 tackles and five interceptions this season, which is tied for most in the nation! Brown’s stellar season is why he has already declared for the 2021 NFL Draft. Brown in a tremendous man-to-man player, which is why he has five interceptions this year. Brown’s play this year has shown NFL scouts why he deserves to play on Sunday’s next year.
Did Antjuan Simmons or Shakur Brown get snubbed from making first team All-Big Ten defense or were they rightfully put on second team?
𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟎 𝐀𝐥𝐥-𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐓𝐞𝐧 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦 (𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞) 𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚. pic.twitter.com/qfAXtjwq3i
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) December 16, 2020
[lawrence-auto-related count=3]
