Tag: Rodney Smith

Panthers release RB Rodney Smith

The Panthers decided to move on RB Rodney Smith, perhaps indicating that they’re also ready to move Christian McCaffrey back into the lineup.

You know what the struggling Carolina Panthers offense could use right about now? Maybe a 5-foot-11, 205-pound running back who’s capable of draining out defenses and racking up, oh, a 1,000-1,000-yard season with his elite rushing and receiving skills.

That might be a lot to ask for, but they might be getting it this week.

In what was perhaps a precursor to the return of Christian McCaffrey, the Panthers announced the release of Rodney Smith from their practice squad on Monday.

Smith has played in nine games over the past two seasons for Carolina, including one start in 2020. The 25-year-old, most recently, was active in these latest pair of losses, one to the Dallas Cowboys and the other to the Philadelphia Eagles. He totaled five receptions for 48 yards over 37 offensive snaps.

During his presser on Monday, head coach Matt Rhule simply said the team “just decided to move on” from Smith.

His release may, again indicate a return to the field for McCaffrey this Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. The star back has missed the NFC East clashes due to a strained hamstring he sustained in Week 3.

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Panthers Week 1 injury update: WR Shi Smith remains only player listed

The Panthers are still almost at a full-go for Sunday’s season opener against the Jets.

Two days and two (almost) entirely clean bills of health for the Carolina Panthers. Not a bad start to the 2021 season, huh?

As was the case on Wednesday, wide receiver Shi Smith was the only player of the active 53-man roster listed on the Week 1 injury report. The rookie is still working back from a shoulder injury he sustained in the preseason finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Once again, Smith was off to the side working the stationary bike, but did have a helmet handy this time around. He is, however, still expected to miss Sunday’s opening matchup with the New York Jets.

In another encouraging sign, safety Kenny Robinson was not included on Thursday’s report. The practice squad member was listed as a limited participant yesterday due to a knee injury.

The same goes for fellow practice squad player Rodney Smith. The running back was also noted as limited from the previous session.

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Panthers finalize initial 2021 53-man roster

A summer’s worth of evaluations and a few days’ worth of departures has left us with this, the initial 53-man roster of the 2021 Carolina Panthers.

Just 15 minutes before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET, the Carolina Panthers made their final move to reach the 53-man roster limit. That casualty comes at the expense of running back Rodney Smith, who the team has now waived.

So, after a summer’s worth of evaluations and a few days’ worth of cuts, here were are. This is the Panthers’ initial 53-man roster heading into the 2021 regular season:

Quarterbacks (2): Sam Darnold, P.J. Walker

Running backs (3): Christian McCaffrey, Chuba Hubbard, Trenton Cannon

Fullback (1): Giovanni Ricci

Wide receivers (6)  : DJ Moore, Robby Anderson, Terrace Marshall Jr., David Moore, Brandon Zylstra, Shi Smith

Tight ends (4): Dan Arnold, Ian Thomas, Tommy Tremble, Colin Thompson

Offensive line (9): Cameron Erving, Pat Elflein, Matt Paradis, John Miller, Taylor Moton, Trent Scott, Dennis Daley, Brady Christensen, Deonte Brown

Defensive line (10): Brian Burns, Derrick Brown, DaQuan Jones, Morgan Fox, Yetur Gross-Matos, Marquis Haynes, Darryl Johnson, Daviyon Nixon, Bravvion Roy, Phil Hoskins

Linebackers (6):Shaq Thompson, Jermaine Carter Jr., Haason Reddick, Frankie Luvu, Julian Stanford, Clay Johnston

Defensive backs (9): Donte Jackson, Jaycee Horn, Jeremy Chinn, Juston Burris, Keith Taylor, Myles Hartsfield, Stantley Thomas-Oliver III, Sam Franklin, Sean Chandler

Specialists (3): Ryan Santoso, Joseph Charlton, J.J. Jansen

Obviously, the roster is subject to change leading up to their Week 1 matchup with the New York Jets. There will be plenty of players who were let go elsewhere that may pique the braintrust’s interest.

But until then, these are your first 53, Carolina.

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Tunnel Vision of Week 11

Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.

SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks Pass-Rush TD
 Deshaun Watson  344-36 3
 Justin Herbert 366-11 3
 Kirk Cousins 314-4 3
 Aaron Rodgers 311-13 3
 Ryan Tannehill 259-35 2
Running Backs Yards TD
Dalvin Cook 27-115
5-45		 1
Melvin Gordon 15-84 2
Derrick Henry 28-133
1-(-1)		 1
Clyde Edwards-Helaire 14-69
1-8		 2
J.K. Dobbins 15-70
2-15		 1
Wide Receivers Yards TD
Keenan Allen 16-145 1
Adam Thielen 8-123 2
Damiere Byrd 6-132 1
Davante Adams 7-106 1
Tyreek Hill 11-102 1
Tight Ends Yards TD
Mark Andrews 5-96 1
Dallas Goedert 5-77 1
Robert Tonyan 5-44 1
Darren Waller 7-88 1
Travis Kelce 8-127 1
Placekickers XP FG
Rodrigo Blankenship 2 4
Stephen Gostkowski 1 3
Justin Tucker 1 3
Mike Badgley 4 2
Chris Boswell 3 2
Defense Sck-TO TD
Steelers 2-4 0
Colts 1-4 0
Browns 5-3 1
Saints 8-2 0
Football Team 4-2 0

Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts

QB Joe Burrow – Knee
QB Tua Tagovailoa – Benched
WR Randall Cobb – Foot
WR Kenny Stills – Leg
RB Rex Burkhead – Knee
TE Jonnu Smith – Ankle

Chasing Ambulances

Another tough week for quarterbacks.

QB Joe Burrow – Initial speculation was that he tore his ACL and likely did other damage. A tough ending for the first pick in the NFL draft who already proved why he was coveted. Now the Bengals revert to their fourth-round pick of 2019 in Ryan Finley.  He started three games as a rookie and all were losses with never more than 192 passing yards.  This downgrades all Bengals’ players, including Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. With Joe Mixon already on injured reserve, the rest of the season looks bleak.

QB Tua Tagovailoa – Benched in the loss to the Broncos, but he’s already been confirmed as the starter next week at the Jets. The rookie had a down game with only 11-of-23 for 83 yards and one score while being sacked six times. The Fins went with Fitzpatrick looking for a spark. Tagovailoa will  look much better this week in New York.

RB Rex Burkhead – Believed to have a serious, season-ending knee injury in the loss to the Texans. Rather than clearing up the Patriot’s backfield, Sony Michel is expected to become active for games and to maintain the maddening three-man rotation that limits each player.

Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables

RB J.K. Dobbins – The rookie was the primary rusher for the Ravens in their loss to the Titans. He ran 15 times for 70 yards and a touchdown while Gus Edwards (3-6) and Mark Ingram (2-2) were mostly spectators. This remains a committee, but Dobbins success spells better things for the rest of the season and more so, next year.

TE Mark Andrews – After marginal use this season, Andrews  caught seven passes for 61 yards in Week 10 and then led the Ravens with five receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown on Sunday.

QB Matt Stafford – Troublesome that he plays with a damaged thumb on his throwing hand and then only managed 178 yards and no scores on the Panthers No. 27 defense versus quarterbacks. Kenny Golladay was out, as he is often this year, but Stafford couldn’t connect for any points in their shutout loss.

QB P.J. Walker – First NFL start for the former XFL star produced a shutout win for the Panthers but the results were mixed. He threw for 258 yards and two scores with the three wideouts all leading the team. D.J. Moore (7-127) and Curtis Samuel (8-70, TD) were top fantasy players, and Robby Anderson (7-46) ended a bit lighter than usual in yardage. Walker also tossed two interceptions and it was a home game against the Lions who trailed the entire time.

RB Rodney Smith – The Panthers’ undrafted rookie out of Minnesota saw his first action in Week 10 when he ran for 13 yards on three carries and caught a two-yard pass against the Buccaneers. Against the Lions, he ran eight times for 29 yards. Notable that he was the only other back besides Mike Davis.

WR Damiere Byrd – The Patriot’s very fast wideout turned in a team high 132 yards and a score on six catches in the loss to the Texans this week. He recorded five receptions for 65 yards in Week 9 versus the Jets but was blanked against the Ravens in Week 10. At least he shows up when the Patriots face weak defenses.

QB Taysom Hill /Alvin Kamara – Hill beat the Falcons, so Jameis Winston can get used to the clipboard for now. Hill was efficient completing 18-of-23 passes for 233 yards, and he led the Saints in rushing with 51 yards and two scores on ten carries. Based solely on the one start, Michael Thomas (9-104) will be fine with the change in quarterback while Alvin Kamara’s (13-45, TD rush) fantasy value takes a huge hit since he was only thrown one target and ended with no catches. Kamara leads the Saints with 67 catches, which is 18 more than any other NFL running back. And the No. 1 fantasy running back had zero catches.

RB Salvon Ahmed – Matt Brieda returned but only ran twice to gain four yards and never had a target. Ahmed’s second start only saw  him with 12 carries for 43 yards in the loss to the Broncos, but he added five receptions for 31 yards.

Colts Backfield – Nyheim Hines blew up for 70 yards on 12 runs and five catches for 45 yards with two touchdowns in Week 10. That was not the start of something new. Against the Packers, Jonathan Taylor was back to being the primary back with 22 runs for 90 yards while Hines only gained two yards on six carries. Hines caught three passes for 31 yards but Taylor ended with four receptions for 24 yards. This committee can go with the hot hand, but in most cases leans on Taylor for whatever that produces.

RB Ezekiel Elliott – Finally broke 100 rushing yards when he gained 103 on 21 rushes and added two catches for 11 yards with one touchdown. This was the first time that Elliott looked like he could return to form since Dak Prescott was injured.

QB Andy Dalton – Over his concussion and COVID-19, the Cowboys quarterback threw for 203 yards and three touchdowns in the win over the Vikings.  Encouraging that his top receivers were all wideouts – Amari Cooper (6-81), CeeDee Lamb (4-34, TD) and Michael Gallup (2-29). The Cowboys chances of representing the NFC East in their playoff loss just got better.

Huddle player of the week

WR Keenan Allen  –  If Allen had any reservations about playing with a rookie quarterback, they are long gone. Allen turned in 16 catches for 145 yards and one score against the Jets for the highest fantasy points in most leagues. And to think he was the No. 24 wideout in Average Draft Position this summer.

Salute!

Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry

Comedy Yards TDs Tragedy Yards TDs
QB Philip Rivers 288 3 QB Matt Ryan 232 0
RB J.K. Dobbins 15-70
2-15		 1 RB Todd Gurley 8-16
1-3		 0
RB Carlos Hyde 14-79
2-16		 1 RB Nyheim Hines 6-2
3-31		 0
WR Damiere Byrd 6-132
1-11		 1 WR Julio Jones 2-39 0
WR Tim Patrick 5-119 0 WR JuJu Smith-Schuster 4-19 0
WR Corey Davis 5-113 0 WR DeAndre Hopkins 5-51 0
TE Richard Rodgers 2-48 1 TE Hayden Hurst 0 0
PK Rodrigo Blankenship 2  XP   4 FG PK Matt Prater   0 XP
Huddle Fantasy Points = 144 Huddle Fantasy Points = 39

Now get back to work…

Panthers Highlights: Trenton Cannon posts 98-yard kick return

Panthers Highlights: Trenton Cannon posts 98-yard kick return.

After another disastrous third quarter, the Panthers needed a big play to get back in the game against the Buccaneers. They just got it on special teams from backup running back Trenton Cannon, who gained 98 yards on this kickoff return.

That helped set up a touchdown scramble by Teddy Bridgewater. The Panthers now trail the Buccaneers 32-23.

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Panthers activate Juston Burris from IR, promote RB from practice squad

Getting Burris back is a welcome development for a young defense that needs all the help it can get.

The Carolina Panthers have activated defensive back Juston Burris from the injured reserve list ahead of Sunday’s division matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Burris started the first six games of the season but suffered a rib injury in the loss to the Chicago Bears. He had been on IR since.

Getting Burris back is a welcome development for a young defense that needs all the help it can get. It also presents an interesting question for defensive coordinator Phil Snow. Undrafted rookie safety/linebacker Sam Franklin took Burris’ place in the lineup the last three games and has flashed some genuine potential. Burris will likely start, but Franklin may demand more snaps in the future. We may learn a lot about how they feel about Franklin based on how much he plays Week 10.

Also, with Christian McCaffrey ruled out this week and Reggie Bonnafon going on injured reserve yesterday, the team needed more depth at running back. So, they have promoted rookie Rodney Smith from the practice squad. Smith played his college ball at Minnesota and posted some impressive rushing numbers in 2016 and 2019. He will be the third running back on the depth chart behind Trenton Cannon and Mike Davis.

The Panthers also re-signed kicker Taylor Bertolet to their practice squad.

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Panthers bring back rookie RB Rodney Smith for practice squad

Today, the team announced that they have signed undrafted rookie Rodney Smith to their practice squad.

Even though Mike Davis is playing like a superstar, the Panthers could stand to add more depth at running back. With both Christian McCaffrey and Reggie Bonnafon on injured reserve, the team is looking to a familiar face to help fill that need.

Today, the team announced that they have signed undrafted rookie Rodney Smith to their practice squad.

Smith (5-foot-11, 210 pounds) played his college ball at Minnesota, where he had a stupendous Sophomore season, totaling 1,158 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns.

Smith spent the “offseason” with the Panthers and was one of the final cuts when the team trimmed the roster down to 53 players for the regular season. He’ll be the second back on the practice squad. Pete Guerriero is the other.

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Panthers position battles: Can RB Trenton Cannon make the roster in 2020?

The Carolina Panthers signed RB Trenton Cannon off waivers from the New York Jets to compete for a roster spot in a crowded RB room.

The Panthers made a clear statement Tuesday when they signed Trenton Cannon less than a week after releasing undrafted rookie running back Rodney Smith: the team prefers a veteran presence at this position, at least for training camp.

The move by Carolina to release Smith last week was a surprising one. The team opted to release him instead of veteran back Mike Davis, despite an unusually high cap hit of $3 million this season. Rather than being “on the bubble,” Davis is benefitting from the lack of an NFL preseason, as coaches around the league focus on committing to real pro experience over raw potential.

Carolina chose experience yet again on Tuesday when they claimed Cannon, the third-year running back and kick returner waived by the Jets late Monday afternoon.

While Cannon lacks the experience of Davis, he has the advantage of an extra year of experience over Jordan Scarlett and Reggie Bonnafon. Cannon (5-foot-11, 185 pounds) was drafted by New York in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL draft, impressing scouts with his kick return reputation and open-field playmaking ability. In his senior year at Virginia State, Cannon utilized his speed (4.40 40-yard dash) to return 25 kicks for 821 yards and two touchdowns.

However, after joining a crowded Jets backfield, Cannon rarely saw action. In 2018, Cannon played 19% of their offensive snaps, but in 2019 he recorded no stats thanks to multiple foot injuries that held him out of all but four games. Cannon spent those four games mostly on special teams coverage, where Carolina has struggled as of late.

Now, he joins another crowded backfield in Carolina. Davis has the advantage of seniority over the rest, but Bonnafon has all but solidified his backup role behind potential future Hall of Famer Christian McCaffrey. The Panthers also have 2019 fifth-round pick Jordan Scarlett, who failed to see any significant playing time as a rookie. Expect to see Cannon compete with Scarlett for the RB4 spot through training camp.

So, what does Cannon bring to the table?

Let’s take a look at what he can do on special teams.

Cannon also shows off his speed in college in this clip.

And finally, here Cannon displays his explosive burst and field vision getting past the second level against the Falcons.

Cannon has work to do, but if he can outwork and outperform Scarlett these next few weeks, he might have a leg up to make the team.

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Panthers pick up running back off waivers from the Jets

The team has picked up running back Trenton Cannon off waivers from the Jets, according to the team website.

After undrafted rookie Rodney Smith was cut late last week, there was room for one more running back on the Panthers roster at training camp. Now, we know who will be taking that spot.

The team has picked up running back Trenton Cannon off waivers from the Jets, according to the official website.

Cannon (5-foot-11, 185 pounds) played his college football at Virginia State, then the Jets picked him in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL draft.

He played all 16 games as a rookie, averaging three yards per carry. Cannon was also used as receiver, catching 17 of 25 targets and posting 144 yards and three drops. Last season, Cannon sat out all but four games due to multiple foot injuries and recorded no stats.

Consider Cannon the No. 5 back on the team behind Jordan Scarlett, Mike Davis, Reggie Bonnafon and Christian McCaffrey. He has an uphill climb to make the regular season roster.

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Panthers 2020 training camp: Five players waived, bringing roster to 80

The team has announced five cuts, bringing the number of players on the roster down to 80.

Panthers coach Matt Rhule won’t wait until August 16 to trim his roster down after all. The team has announced five cuts, bringing the number of players on the roster to 80.

RB Rodney Smith

Smith is the most surprising cut, if only because of the competition at his position. Releasing Mike Davis instead would have saved Carolina $3 million in cap space. Instead, they’ll move forward with the veteran as the No. 4 running back on the roster behind Christian McCaffrey, Reggie Bonnafon and Jordan Scarlett.

WR Damion Jeanpiere Jr.

Wide receivers will have a tough time making the team this year given all the free agents the Panthers picked up this offseason. Guys like Ishmael Hyman, Brandon Zylstra and the undrafted Omar Bayless can now breathe a little easier.

G Tyler Marz, C Fred Mauigoa

The loss of the preseason means Carolina’s offensive line needs experience above all else, so younger linemen will be at a disadvantage this month. Marz has only played six NFL games and Mauigoa was a college free agent. These cuts were good news for former Baylor center Sam Tecklenburg and former Auburn guard Mike Horton.

LB Jason Ferris

The Panthers also waived undrafted linebacker Jason Ferris with an injury designation. With Jordan Mack having opted-out, we’re down to three UDFA linebackers, with Chris Orr, David Reese and Sam Franklin all competing for what will likely be the last LB spot on the roster.

The Panthers also announced that OL Greg Little and Branden Bowen passed their physicals.

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