Tag: Sam Franklin

Panthers to re-sign LB Tae Davis on 1-year deal

The Panthers are bringing back LB Tae Davis.

The Carolina Panthers continued to solidify their special teams on Friday.

As announced this morning, the Panthers have agreed to terms on a new deal with linebacker Tae Davis. The one-year pact comes shortly after Carolina officially brought back both safety Sam Franklin Jr. and running back/return specialist Raheem Blackshear.

Davis, a University of Tennessee product, cracked into the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the New York Giants in 2018. Over his year and a half for Big Blue, he recorded 33 combined tackles, 2.0 sacks, five quarterback hits and a forced fumble in 18 games.

He’d then sign on with the Cleveland Browns after being waived in the middle of the 2019 campaign. Davis went on to rack up two stints for Cleveland, where he notched 12 tackles over 27 contests up until 2022.

The six-foot, 222-pounder began the 2023 season with the Atlanta Falcons, who released him in November. Davis was scooped up by the Panthers a week later and played each of his 143 snaps for them on special teams.

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Photos of Panthers S Sam Franklin Jr.

The ace is coming back for 2024.

On Wednesday, the Carolina Panthers announced that they have agreed to terms with safety Sam Franklin Jr.

The beloved teammate and special teams ace will, per Joe Person of The Athletic, be back on a one-year deal.

So, let’s celebrate the return by looking back at the best images from his first four years in Carolina . . .

Panthers reportedly signing S Sam Franklin Jr. to 1-year deal

Per The Athletic, the Panthers are set to bring back special teams ace Sam Franklin.

One more year!

According to Joe Person of The Athletic, the Carolina Panthers are set to bring back safety Sam Franklin Jr. He’s expected to sign a one-year deal.

Franklin cracked into the organization as an undrafted free agent in May of 2020. He had spent the previous four years of his football career at Temple University, where he crossed paths with future (and now former) head coach Matt Rhule in 2016.

The 6-foot-3, 210-pound defensive back has made his imprint in Carolina as a special teams ace. He played 156 snaps on the unit in 2020, 258 in 2021, 359 in 2022 and 313 this past season.

2023 also saw Franklin notch his first career interception, one he brought back for a 99-yard touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4.

Now 28 years old, Franklin has appeared in 64 games over his four seasons for the Panthers. He has recorded 97 combined tackles (three for a loss), the pick-six, a sack, a forced fumble, five passes defensed and two quarterback hits.

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Full list of 2024 Panthers free agents

The Panthers currently have 26 players slated for free agency in 2024.

Things have changed a bit since the last time we brought you this free agent list.

A few weeks back, the Carolina Panthers held on to a few of their own—re-signing tight end Stephen Sullivan and defensive linemen Nick Thurman LaBryan Ray to fresh deals.

So, let’s take an updated look at the team’s pending 2024 free agents.

Have the Oklahoma Sooners adequately addressed their needs in the transfer portal?

The Oklahoma Sooners were active in the transfer portal, but have they done enough to address their needs?

The Oklahoma Sooners went into the offseason with a number of needs to address via the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag].

Bryant Crews highlighted five positions that the Sooners needed to address in the portal, namely offensive line, defensive line, tight end, secondary, and kicker.

But how well did the Sooners address those needs and where else have they added talent?

With the coaching carousel extending into January with the Alabama and Washington jobs opening up, the transfer portal has heated up again for the next 30 days. Could the Sooners add more talent? We’ll see if they take advantage of the opportunity to add talent from the Crimson Tide or the Huskies.

But until then, let’s take a look at what they’ve done in the portal thus far and if they’ve addressed their needs.

2024 free agents who may be playing their final game for the Panthers in Week 18

Week 18 may mark the end of an era for a few Carolina Panthers players.

Sunday will not only represent the end of a brutal 2023 season for the Carolina Panthers, but it may also mark the end of a few eras.

Here are 23 pending free agents who could be playing their last game for the Panthers in Week 18:

*List excludes pending free agents who are on the practice squad, who are on injured reserve and who have been ruled out

Sooners continue to add via the transfer portal with commitment from RB Sam Franklin

Oklahoma continues to add productive pieces via the portal as UT-Martin transfer Sam Franklin commits to the Sooners.

Oklahoma has lost three running backs to the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] in the last few weeks. In many ways, it was beneficial, given it is nearly impossible to keep six scholarship running backs happy.

[autotag]Marcus Major[/autotag], [autotag]Daylan Smothers[/autotag] and [autotag]Tawee Walker[/autotag] entered the transfer portal. Walker is still practicing with the team, so there’s a chance he remains in Norman. [autotag]DeMarco Murray[/autotag] and the rest of the offensive staff decided losing three running backs was too much and offered multiple players in the transfer portal. One of those offers went to Sam Franklin, a talented and productive running back from UT-Martin.

After a visit with Oklahoma this week, Franklin cashed in that offer and announced his commitment to the Sooners. Franklin was a Walter Payton award finalist for the Skyhawks. The award is given annually to the national offensive player of the year in the Football Championship Subdivision of Division I.

For the 5-foot-10, 190-pound redshirt sophomore, 2023 was a massive year. With 223 carries, he amassed 1,378 yards (6.2 yards per carry) and 11 touchdowns. He caught 14 passes for 127 yards and one touchdown in 11 games. He’s decisive and quick enough to break away at the second level. Adding him to [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] and [autotag]Jovontae Barnes[/autotag] gives Oklahoma three game-ready backs who have produced significantly. It also allows Oklahoma to ease incoming freshmen [autotag]Taylor Tatum[/autotag], [autotag]Xavier Robinson[/autotag] and [autotag]Andy Bass[/autotag] into the collegiate football world.

Franklin has two years of eligibility remaining, and his commitment brings Oklahoma’s transfer portal commitment tally to four.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Best and worst PFF grades from Panthers’ Week 8 win over Texans

Bryce Young’s winning performance in Week 8 yielded his highest PFF grade yet.

Do the Pro Football Focus grades feel any better after a win? Well, let’s see.

Here are the Carolina Panthers’ best and worst grades from their Week 8 victory over the Houston Texans:

Best and worst PFF grades from Panthers’ Week 4 loss to Vikings

PFF has now graded Adam Thielen as a top-two offensive player for the Panthers in three of the team’s first four games.

How did the Carolina Panthers grade out in yesterday’s 21-13 defeat to the Minnesota Vikings?

Here are the best and worst marks from the team’s fourth straight loss:

Studs and duds from Panthers’ Week 4 loss to Vikings

In an otherwise disappointing Sunday, Panthers WR Adam Thielen came to play against his old friends.

The Carolina Panthers took their fourth straight loss on Sunday—falling to the visiting Minnesota Vikings, 21-13. And while there are some negative performances to go over, there are a few men who had themselves a respectable showing.

Here are the Panthers’ studs and duds from Week 4: