Tag: robert hunt

Dolphins currently projected to get 3 compensatory picks in 2025

While the Dolphins lost Christian Wilkins, Robert Hunt, and others in free agency, that should mean more draft capital in 2025.

It’s been a few years since the Miami Dolphins received a compensatory draft pick. The last time was in 2020 when the team received fourth- and seventh-round selections for losing Ja’Wuan James and Brandon Bolden.

Five years later, the Dolphins are in line to finally get some compensatory picks again.

According to Over The Cap’s projections, the sizable contracts that Christian Wilkins and Robert Hunt signed with the Las Vegas Raiders and Carolina Panthers, respectively, are both likely to earn the Dolphins third-round picks in 2025.

While OTC also projects Miami will receive a seventh-round selection, that one is much less certain. For now, the additions of Jordyn Brooks, Aaron Brewer, and Kendall Fuller cancel out the losses of Andrew Van Ginkel, Raekwon Davis, and Brandon Jones. That leaves the contract signed by DeShon Elliott as just rich enough to earn a seventh-rounder.

But if the Dolphins make another move or just a few more free agents get deals elsewhere, that pick could disappear.

Either way, two third-round picks is quite a coup for Miami and will mean the Dolphins have a lot of draft capital to worth with next year.

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Panthers projected offensive depth chart heading into April

How is the Panthers offense looking as we enter April? Here’s our projected depth chart for the unit as it currently stands:

The offensive overhaul for the Carolina Panthers began on January 25, when they officially named Dave Canales as their new head coach. So, what does the unit look like now?

Since then, Canales and president of football operations/general manager Dan Morgan have taken their shared vision into free agency. And as a result, they’ve given the offense a bit of a facelift.

So, as we prepare for April and the 2024 NFL draft, here’s our projected depth chart for the group:

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
QB Bryce Young Andy Dalton
RB Chuba Hubbard Miles Sanders Raheem Blackshear Mike Boone Spencer Brown Tarik Cohen
WR Diontae Johnson David Moore Jalen Camp
WR Jonathan Mingo Terrace Marshall Jr. Michael Strachan Cam Sims
SWR Adam Thielen Ihmir Smith-Marsette
TE Tommy Tremble Ian Thomas Stephen Sullivan Jordan Matthews Chris Pierce
LT Ikem Ekwonu Yosh Nijman Ricky Lee
LG Damien Lewis Brady Christensen Cade Mays
C Austin Corbett
RG Robert Hunt Chandler Zavala Nash Jensen J.D. DiRenzo
RT Taylor Moton Ilm Manning Badara Traore

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Panthers HC Dave Canales gives rationale behind Austin Corbett’s move to center

Panthers HC Dave Canales believes Austin Corbett is up for the challenge of transitioning to the center position.

Carolina Panthers offensive lineman Austin Corbett has yet to log a single regular-season rep from the center position. But that hasn’t been a deciding factor in his move to the very middle of the trench, at least for Dave Canales.

The first-year head coach chatted with reporters at the Annual League Meeting on Tuesday morning. Canales touched on the pricey free-agent signings additions of guards Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt, stating that he wants to build his team’s identity from the inside out.

Part of that establishing that identity will include a change for Corbett—who has played the vast majority of his NFL snaps from the right guard spot. But according to Canales, it’s Corbett’s identity that should make the transition a smooth one.

“Well, it’s a specific role for a guy who’s a leader,” Canales said, via Darin Gantt of Panthers.com. “You can get away with it when a guy isn’t vocal; you can get away with it when a guy isn’t like the true alpha type of personality. You can get away with that, but you really would love your center to be like the middle linebacker and be the quarterback of the offensive line. And Corbs is that. He’s a man’s man; when he talks, people listen. He’s just natural for this, and for us to have the opportunity to go get the guards that we did to add Austin into that mix as a center to be able to piece it all together, the continuity of the tackles with a couple of new guys, a lot of guys just talking along the line. It’s really a dream scenario. And so I love this challenge.”

Corbett has recorded 3,984 snaps over his six-year career—with 3,442 of them coming at right guard. His only looks at center came during preseason play in 2019, when he lined up on 203 snaps from the middle for the Cleveland Browns.

On top of that challenge, the 28-year-old will be coming back from his second major injury in as many years. After returning from a torn ACL he sustained the 2022 finale, Corbett appeared in just four games this past season before injuring his MCL in the same knee.

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Panthers’ signing of Robert Hunt named amongst free agency’s riskiest moves

The 33rd Team listed the Panthers’ $100 million signing of Robert Hunt as one of the riskiest moves of free agency.

Protection these days isn’t cheap, and that could come back to bite the Carolina Panthers.

Two weeks ago, the Panthers agreed to terms with right guard Robert Hunt. Those terms, like the offensive lineman himself, were quite weighty—with the sides coming to a five-year, $100 million pact.

Hunt’s new contract, per Spotrac, makes him the second-highest paid guard in the entire league—as he sits behind only Atlanta’s Chris Lindstrom in total value, average annual value and guaranteed money.

So that, according to The 33rd Team’s Ian Valentino, is what makes the agreement one of the five riskiest of free agency. He writes:

Hunt, 27, played in 11 games in 2023 but ranked as a below-average pass blocker and run blocker in ESPN’s win rate metrics. Now, the 6-foot-6, 330-pounder is the league’s second-highest-paid right guard.

Carolina has two second-round picks and the top selections in the third and fourth rounds. Could they have found a serviceable guard instead of splurging on Hunt? Maybe not, given the franchise’s woeful offensive talent fielded in 2023.

But Hunt’s deal will almost certainly be an albatross if he doesn’t rapidly improve.

Unlike ESPN’s metrics, Hunt showed out rather favorably by Pro Football Focus’ standards. In an injury-shortened 2023 campaign, he earned career-highs in offensive and pass-blocking grades (77.1 and 74.5) along with his second-highest run-blocking mark (75.9).

So perhaps value, of multiple kinds, is just in the eye of the beholder.

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Panthers G Robert Hunt believes he has that dawg in him

New Panthers G Robert Hunt: ‘I like to think I’m a dawg.’

Last month, Carolina Panthers president of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan put out a call for some dawgs. And now, Robert Hunt has answered it.

The organization’s new 100 million dollar man spoke with local reporters for the first time on Wednesday afternoon. When asked if he was already aware of Morgan’s search for that dawg mentality, the 27-year-old offensive lineman said he was a bit busy doing his thing.

“I was in my own lane, man,” Hunt replied to Joe Person of The Athletic. “So I wasn’t really looking into any team really deep. I was still working here in Miami, doin’ what I was doin’ here. So, the dawg thing kinda came new to me kinda when I signed. Just kinda heard it more then. I think there’s a bunch of dawgs in that locker room—so I’m excited to get in and fit in and play with ’em.”

Hunt claimed a spot in that locker room last week, when he came to terms on a five-year, $100 million pact. Amongst all guards, the deal is the second-highest in total value and is tied for the third-highest annual average value.

He was then asked if he could think of a particular moment which proves that he has that dawg in him.

“I got a lot of plays out there that you can probably look up,” Hunt responded. “I think I play the game the right way. I think I’ve been playin’ the game the right way. And that’s how I go about it. I’d like to think I’m a dawg. But I think I just play the game the right way.”

Well, based off his new contract, he’s certainly played something the right way.

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Panthers officially announce 5 free-agent signings

The Panthers made their reported free-agent agreements officials ones at the start of the new league year.

Happy New Year, Carolina Panthers fans!

With the start of the new league year came the official announcement of the team’s five newest free-agent signees. So, yes, those terms are no longer reportedly agreed upon—they’re definitely agreed upon.

Set to join the Panthers are guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis, defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson, linebacker Josey Jewell and cornerback Dane Jackson.

Hunt and Lewis were the first two names to surface for Carolina, who were seeking to fortify their interior offensive trench for quarterback Bryce Young. And they did, with the duo expected to sign multi-year deals (Hunt for five and Lewis for four) at a combined $153 million.

Robinson will help solidify the opposite trench. The 6-foot-4, 330-pounder is expected to ink a three-year, $22.5 million pact.

Jewell could serve as the replacement for the departed do-it-all backer Frankie Luvu. He spent a season under Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who served in the same role for the Denver Broncos in 2022.

Jackson, who has ties to president of football operations/general manager Dan Morgan, comes over from the Buffalo Bills.

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Panthers reportedly plan on moving Austin Corbett to center in 2024

With their two big additions on Monday, the Panthers are reportedly planning on moving Austin Corbett to center this upcoming season.

Now that the Carolina Panthers have found the beef, they have to find a place to put it all. But luckily, there already seems to be a plan for that.

On Monday, the team reportedly came to terms with interior offensive linemen Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis. Hunt is expected to sign a five-year, $100 million pact while Lewis is set for a four-year, $53 million deal.

So, with major investments in a new left guard and a new right guard, what does this mean for the current incumbents in Brady Christensen and Austin Corbett?

According to Joe Person of The Athletic, the Panthers plan on moving Corbett from right guard to the starting center position and Christensen from left guard to the swing tackle role. That would give the offense the following lineup in the trenches:

LT: Ikem Ekwonu
LG: Damien Lewis
C: Austin Corbett
RG: Robert Hunt
RT: Taylor Moton

The middle just opened up on Sunday with news of the impending release of this past season’s starting center in Bradley Bozeman. Corbett has not logged a single snap from the middle over his six-year NFL career, but is seen as a potential fit for the role in head coach Dave Canales’ offense.

Christensen, on the other hand, does carry some appropriate pro experience into this fresh vision. The former third-round pick, who was a standout on the blindside for Brigham Young University, has recorded 370 snaps at left tackle and 71 at right tackle.

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Panthers make major move for ex-Dolphins guard (and #THICCSIX star) Robert Hunt

Robert Hunt goes to the Panthers as a top-tier guard, and a sneaky red-zone #THICCSIX weapon. What’s not to like?

The Carolina Panthers are all too aware that they need to surround second-year quarterback Bryce Young with as much talent as possible, and the team took a big step forward in that regard on Monday by agreeing to terms with former Miami Dolphins offensive guard Robert Hunt on a massive deal.

Over four seasons with the Miami Dolphins, Hunt has allowed a total of nine sacks and 61 total pressures, with one sack and five total pressures allowed in 376 pass-blocking snaps. The Dolphins have one of the NFL’s most complex and multi-faceted run game, and Hunt was a bastion of consistency on a line that was a bit all over the place. Which is what Hunt will try and solve in his new home.

Moreover, Hunt adds a potential red zone target for Young — you can read more about this particular play here.

Dolphins guard Robert Hunt cheated out of greatest Big Man Touchdown ever

Panthers expected to sign G Robert Hunt to 5-year, $100 million deal

The Panthers are on the board in free agency with a massive deal for a massive lineman.

Protection doesn’t come cheap nowadays.

As first reported by Bleacher Report NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Carolina Panthers are expected to sign guard Robert Hunt. Per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the deal will be worth $100 million over five years with $63 million guaranteed and a $26.5 million signing bonus.

Hunt has spent each of his four pro seasons with the Miami Dolphins, who selected the University of Louisiana product in the second round of the 2020 draft. The Ragin’ Cajun came into the pros with a first-team All-Sun Belt nod from 2019 and a second-team All-Sun Belt nod from 2018.

He has registered 55 starts over 61 career games, with the vast majority of his work coming from the right guard position. Although it was cut short due to a hamstring injury, the 2023 campaign resulted in the best Pro Football Focus grade for Hunt—who notched a 77.1 overall offensive mark.

The 6-foot-6, 335-pounder is a huge investment towards the growth of quarterback Bryce Young, who was sacked 62 times in 2023.

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Dolphins OL Robert Hunt plans to sign huge contract with Panthers

Miami loses their starting right guard.

The Miami Dolphins have had a tough first day of the legal tampering window with defensive lineman Christian Wilkins, safety Brandon Jones and linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel all agreeing to leave their defense for other teams.

However, it’s not stopping there. According to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, Dolphins right guard Robert Hunt is planning to sign with the Carolina Panthers.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the deal is for five years and is worth $100 million with $63 million guaranteed.

Hunt, 27, was selected by Miami in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft after playing collegiately at Louisiana where he made two All-Sun Belt teams.

While he began his NFL career at right tackle, he settled in at right guard for the final three seasons during his time in aqua and orange, becoming a dependable staple of their line.

With Isaiah Wynn and Connor Williams also on the market, might is currently set to lose their three starting interior offensive lineman from last year. They’ll need to find both starters and depth for the unit before the season begins.