Tag: Sam Franklin

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:

Panthers fans react to Sam Franklin’s record-breaking 99-yard INT return for TD

Panthers fans went bonkers over Sam Franklin’s record-breaking 99-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Carolina Panthers safety Sam Franklin, who made the start in place of an injured Xavier Woods, created some history very early on in Sunday’s matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.

On the very first drive of the game, one that was actually propelled by a 45-yard pass interference penalty on the veteran defensive back, Franklin jumped the route of wide receiver K.J. Osborn and picked off quarterback Kirk Cousins. He proceeded to take the takeaway for a 99-yard trip to the end zone, helping give the Panthers a 7-0 lead just five minutes into the contest.

Franklin’s return now stands as the longest in franchise history, breaking the previous record of 97 yards by future Pro Football Hall of Famer and future Hall of Honor inductee Julius Peppers.

Here’s how the Carolina fans over on Twitter reacted to the huge play:

Chris Tabor speaks on impact of injuries to defense

With his pair of aces in Kamu Grugier-Hill and Sam Franklin having to fill in more on defense, Panthers ST coordinator Chris Tabor spoke about the “next man up” mantra.

Injuries, especially at the top of the depth chart, often cause ripple effects in the NFL—and the Carolina Panthers have been dealing with quite a few of those recently.

Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor spoke to reporters just a few days ahead of the Week 4 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings—one that will likely see some alterations to his unit due to some setbacks on defense. He was asked how the group can patch themselves together amidst the possible changes, especially if he won’t be able to utilize linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill and safety Sam Franklin as frequently.

“You just keep goin’,” he replied. “And next man up—that’s kinda the mantra in the NFL and it’s true. There’s not really much you can do about that. Those guys—they could be playin’ for us, they could not be playin’ for us. I mean, it just happens. It happens all the time during the game.

“I mean, we sustained some injuries in the Seattle game. You just make in-game adjustments and our guys are real good about understanding the importance of it and understanding where the stress is at. And you just gotta get guys ready and that’s what we’ll do today.”

A few injuries from that Week 3 trip to Seattle saw the Panthers lose safety Xavier Woods to a hamstring injury and inside linebacker Frankie Luvu, who was already without his usual starting partner in Shaq Thompson, to a hip pointer. As a result, Grugier-Hill and Franklin—two of Tabor’s premier weapons on special teams—may be moving up into more featured roles on the defensive side of the ball.

Grugier-Hill has already stepped into a starting spot with the absence of Thompson, who will likely be out for the remainder of the season due to a fractured fibula. The same may apply to Franklin sans Woods, who is also expected to miss some extended time.

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NFL analyst praises Panthers’ Sam Franklin as best special teams gunner

Renowned tape grinder Brian Baldinger praised Panthers S Sam Franklin for his unmatched coverage on special teams in 2022.

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It’s easy to forget that there are three, not two, sides to the game of football. But luckily, Carolina Panthers safety Sam Franklin—and his admirers—are here to remind us of that.

As he regularly does, former offensive lineman and current NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger was grinding away at some tape this week. His focus on Wednesday afternoon seemed to be Franklin, whose work on special teams shined through in Carolina’s matchups from this past season against the Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens.

And just in case everyone didn’t hear Baldinger, Panthers punter Johnny Hekker—a pretty special special teamer in his own right—put a megaphone to the breakdown:

Albeit a quiet one, 2022 was a fine campaign for the former undrafted free agent. Franklin played a career-high 167 snaps in kickoff and punt coverage, earning himself a solid 67.5 grade on special teams from Pro Football Focus.

He wasn’t too shabby in defensive coverage either. PFF penciled him in with a 75.9 overall mark on defense, another career-high.

Franklin’s efforts forced Carolina’s hand, as they tendered the 27-year-old in March. He was officially signed to a new one-year, $2.67 million deal a month and a half later.

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