Tag: Tahir Whitehead

Tahir Whitehead officially retires as a Lion

Veteran LB Tahir Whitehead officially retires as a Detroit Lion

Congrats to Tahir Whitehead, who hung up his NFL cleats on Friday. Whitehead signed a ceremonial one-day contract with the Detroit Lions to officially retire from the team where he had the best years of his career.

Whitehead spent his first six seasons in Detroit, beginning as a fifth-round pick out of Temple in the 2012 NFL draft. After playing primarily on special teams in 2012-2013, Whitehead emerged as a starting linebacker for the next four years. He led the team with 132 total tackles in 2016, finishing third in the league in solo tackles that season.

Whitehead moved onto the Raiders in 2018 and started every game for two seasons. He bounced to Carolina for a year and then Arizona, where he played sparingly in 2021.

It’s always nice to see a player proudly return to Detroit to retire as a Lion.

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CB Bashaud Breeland is among 4 Cardinals’ protected practice squad players in Week 18

Preparing for their Week 18 game against the Seahawks, the Cardinals protected Bashaud Breeland, Kevin Peterson, Danny Isidora and Tahir Whitehead.

The Arizona Cardinals were expected to sign veteran cornerback Bashaud Breeland to their practice squad a week ago after rookie corner Marco Wilson suffered a shoulder injury. He contracted COVID-19 so that signing did not happen until Tuesday.

Now on the practice squad, the Cardinals included him among the four practice squad players they protected from being signed by any other team.

They once again included two cornerbacks. Here are their four protected players, according to the NFL transaction report on Tuesday.

  • CB Bashaud Breeland
  • G Danny Isidora
  • CB Kevin Peterson
  • LB Tahir Whitehead

Peterson has had to play on defense the last two weeks for the Cardinals. Whitehead is likely protected because Tanner Vallejo, who came back from injured reserve last week, was placed on the COVID list on Tuesday. Whitehead has been elevated to play special teams this season.

Isidora is protected, likely because the Cardinals don’t want to lose him. They don’t seem to have any injuries on the offensive line.

Breeland probably won’t get elevated this week to play but he could be for the playoffs.

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Cardinals protect four on practice squad for Week 13, including 2 CBs

With this week’s practice squad protections, it makes us wonder if there is an injury in the cornerback room for the Cardinals.

The Arizona Cardinals’ first injury report of the week for Week 13 does not come out until Wednesday afternoon, but they could be looking at some concern for their depth at cornerback.

Why?

The team protected four players on the practice squad this week and two of them are cornerbacks.

According to Tuesday’s NFL transaction report, the Cardinals protected these four players:

  • Long snapper Beau Brinkley
  • Linebacker Tahir Whitehead
  • Cornerback Jace Whittaker
  • Cornerback Kevin Peterson

Brinkley is a no-brainer, as he is the only long snapper on the roster. Whitehead was elevated in Week 11 and played special teams.

Whittaker has played on special teams this season when elevated. Peterson was elevated once but was not active.

But with two cornerbacks protected, it makes one wonder if there is an injury to the four active cornerbacks — Byron Murphy, Robert Alford, Marco Wilson, Antonio Hamilton. If Hamilton is hurt, they would need someone to fill his role on special teams.

If one of the three starters is hurt, Hamilton would slide into the playing rotation on defense and then his role would still need to be filled on special teams.

So we will keep an eye on the injury report to see if there is an extra reason to protect the cornerbacks this week.

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Panthers Week 11 injury designations: Christian McCaffrey OUT, Teddy Bridgewater Questionable

The Detroit Lions (4-5) Week 11 opponent, the Carolina Panthers (3-7), have released their injury designations ahead of Sunday’s game.

The Detroit Lions (4-5) Week 11 opponent, the Carolina Panthers (3-7), have released their injury designations ahead of Sunday’s game. The Panthers will be without All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey, while seven other starters are listed Doubtful/Questionable, including quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.

Here’s a look at the Panther’s full injury designations list.

Injury status

Player Position Injury Designation
Teddy Bridgewater QB (starter) MCL Questionable
Christian McCaffrey RB (starter) Shoulder OUT
Mike Davis RB Thumb No Designation
Russell Okung LT (starter) Calf Doubtful
John Miller RG (starter) Knee/Ankle Doubtful
Chris Manhertz TE Shoulder Questionable
Yetur Gross-Matos DE (starter) Shoulder Questionable
Marquis Haynes DE Shoulder Questionable
Tahir Whitehead LB (starter) Rib Questionable
Donte Jackson CB (starter) Toe Doubtful
Rasul Douglas CB (starter) Ankle Questionable
Sam Franklin S Ankle Questionable

McCaffrey being out is obviously a huge loss and something most have been anticipating all week. He will be replaced in the starting lineup by Mike Davis, who was dealing with a thumb injury at the beginning of the week but does not carry an injury designation into this game.

Bridgewater is the biggest question mark surrounding this team. He did next to nothing on Wednesday and Thursday, but got in some work on Friday, leading to coach Matt Rhule calling him a game-time decision. Our brother site Panthers Wire is less optimistic, saying that their “best guess is that Bridgewater’s limited participation this week is a smokescreen and we will be seeing either P.J. Walker or Will Grier under center.” Rhule declined to say who would start if Bridgewater was unable.

Okung and Miller being listed as doubtful is also an underrated blow to this offense, as it’s not totally clear who will replace them in the starting lineup. Dennis Daley, Greg Little, and Trent Scott have all got shots at left tackle, while Daley or Michael Schofield could be in the mix at right guard. Any which way, losing their top two offensive linemen could be problematic.

On defense, most of the players listed above are expected to play, except for starting corner Donte Jackson, who will likely be replaced in the starting lineup by rookie Troy Pride Jr. a fourth-round pick out of Notre Dame. Like most rookie corners, Pride has struggled this season, potentially creating an opportunity for the Lions, despite their banged-up receiving corps.

Watch: NFL Films presents a special on Panthers legend Luke Kuechly

NFL Films shared a special 10-minute presentation on the Carolina legend today.

The Carolina Panthers are unlikely to ever find a middle linebacker as good as Luke Kuechly. For eight years he set the standard at the position, even as he competed with some fellow future Hall of Famers.

NFL Films shared a special 10-minute presentation on the Carolina legend today. As usual, it’s exceptional work. Watch.

Beautiful stuff.

These days, Kuechly serves as a pro scout for the Panthers.

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Winners and losers from the Panthers’ 23-16 loss to the Bears

The Panthers fell to 3-3 with a 23-16 loss to the Bears, bringing an end to their three-game win streak despite a valiant comeback effort.

The Panthers fell to 3-3 with a 23-16 loss to the Bears, bringing an end to their three-game win streak despite a valiant comeback effort.

Here are our winners and losers from today’s game.

Winner: DB/LB Jeremy Chinn

The Panthers’ second-round draft pick is making a case for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Along with two pass deflections, Chinn added a clutch red zone interception just one play after Mike Davis fumbled the ball. The pick off Nick Foles set up a long 55-yard scoring drive for Carolina. Chinn also recorded five tackles.

Loser: LB Tahir Whitehead

It’s near impossible to fill the shoes of Luke Kuechly, but to say Tahir Whitehead has disappointed would be an understatement. As has been the case all season, Whitehead had multiple missed tackles. The Panthers need Whitehead to improve in coverage or find someone who can.

Winner: Panthers run defense

Carolina did an impressive job containing David Montgomery, limiting the Chicago running backs to just 2.5 yards per carry. After the loss of Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kawann Short, the pressure was on this young Panthers defense to step up and stop the run, and plays like this Derrick Brown tackle for loss helped them deliver.

Loser: Penalty problems

Penalties continue to be a problem for this young team. The Panthers fought for every yard they got in today’s game, but they gave away 69 on penalties. That’s a recipe for disaster against a stout defense like Chicago’s.

Winner: DE Brian Burns

Burns has quietly been one of the league’s best players at pressuring opposing quarterbacks. The second-year defensive end managed to hit Nick Foles three times and record three more tackles. After a concussion scare last week, it was reassuring to see Burns return to form this week.

Loser: OT Russell Okung

Starting left tackle Russell Okung racked up two false starts and gave up several pressures on Teddy Bridgewater. The offensive line struggled as a whole, giving up six QB hits and four sacks, plus six more tackles for a loss.

Winner: Panthers wide receivers

It was a tale of two halves for the Panthers receivers. A shaky first half by Robby Anderson was obscured by the emergence of D.J. Moore. Then, a shaky second half by Moore was covered for by Anderson. While they did drop a few passes, these two receivers combined for 216 yards, so this loss doesn’t fall on them.

Loser: Third-down offense

It’s fair to say that the Panthers missed Curtis Samuel in this one. The loss of one of the league’s best third-down receivers led to a dreadful performance by the offense in that position, converting just 3-13 opportunities. The Panthers will look to regroup ahead of next week’s matchup against a high-powered New Orleans team.

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Panthers activate CB Eli Apple plus 2 players from practice squad

The team has also activated running back Reggie Bonnafon and undrafted rookie linebacker Chris Orr from the practice squad.

The Carolina Panthers have confirmed this morning’s report that they’re activating cornerback Eli Apple from the injured reserve list. Defensive end Shareef Miller has been waived to make room for him on the 53-man roster.

The team has also activated running back Reggie Bonnafon and undrafted rookie linebacker Chris Orr from the practice squad.

Bonnafon was in the lineup last week against the Chargers even though he didn’t get much playing time behind Mike Davis.

Orr may only play if middle linebacker Tahir Whitehead can’t go. He has been added to the injury report and is listed as questionable due to a thigh issue. Whitehead not being in the lineup could turn out to be a plus for the Panthers, though.

While there are potential issues with having the regular defensive playcaller out, Whitehead has been a liability in coverage and Arizona runs its offense in such a way that having three linebackers on the field at once is just asking for trouble. At the moment, the top two on the team are Shaq Thompson and rookie Jeremy Chinn. It might be worth seeing what Orr can do, but those two should get the lions’ share of the linebacker snaps.

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4 questions about the Panthers defense going into the 2020 season

Here are four key questions about this unit going into 2020.

The Carolina Panthers head into the 2020 season with about as much uncertainty hanging over them as any team in the NFL. They experienced far more roster turnover than anyone else this offseason and will be fielding the league’s youngest starting defense in a decade.

Here are four key questions about this unit going into 2020.

Did they do enough to stop the run?

Derrick Brown
Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

There were a lot of reasons why the Panthers finished 5-11 last season. The biggest one was their total failure to stop the run. Carolina allowed the fourth-most rushing yards per game, the most touchdowns and finished ranked No. 32 in rushing defense DVOA.

Passing may be more efficient than running, but as long as opponents know you can’t stop it, they’re going to run the ball down your throat.

Scheme will play a huge role, here. This group never really had the personnel to pull off the 3-4 Ron Rivera tried last year. This season, defensive coordinator Phil Snow is switching back to a 4-3 base scheme, which should help at least in theory.

However, personnel is just as important and we don’t know yet if they’ve done enough to address this issue. Using a top-10 pick on a run-stuffing defensive tackle in Derrick Brown should also improve this part of the game. Getting Kawann Short back healthy doesn’t hurt, either. However, they’re only two men and effectively defending the run requires a lot more than just plugging up the middle of the line of scrimmage.

This run defense will be put to the test early. The Raiders are one of the NFL’s most run-happy teams and Josh Jacobs is one of the best at what he does.

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Watch: Christian McCaffrey beats Panthers linebacker at practice with a vicious route

Watch: Running back Christian McCaffrey beats a Panthers veteran linebacker Adarius Taylor at practice with some vicious route-running.

We knew Christian McCaffrey was going to be special when he was putting the moves on Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis in his first training camp. The Panthers linebacker corps has undergone some dramatic changes in the last few years. McCaffrey continues to roast them at practice one-on-one.

Watch No. 22 beat Adarius Taylor with some very clean route running.

Vicious stuff.

Even if he makes the team Taylor probably won’t get much playing time, though. It’s far more important that Carolina’s projected starters get up to speed and improve their coverage.

McCaffrey is trying to help. Apparently, he put in some extra work one-on-one with Tahir Whitehead and Shaq Thompson.

Whitehead will be taking over for Kuechly (now a pro scout for the Panthers) at the middle linebacker spot. He won’t keep it long though if he continues to struggle in coverage the way he has over the last two seasons. Last year alone, Whitehead was targeted 66 times, allowing 688 yards, six touchdowns and a passer rating over 140.

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Who is the best bounce-back candidate for the Panthers in 2020?

The current Panthers roster is an odd mix of rookies, rising young stars and veterans with something to prove after having a rough season in 2019.

The current Panthers roster is an odd mix of rookies, rising young stars and veterans with something to prove after having a rough season in 2019.

One of those vets looking for a turnaround is left tackle Russell Okung, who has been named by Pro Football Focus as the team’s top bounce-back candidate this coming season, per ESPN. PFF mentions Okung’s health issues, but also cites a career-low grade last year.

“A pulmonary embolism due to blood clots in his lungs limited Okung to six games in 2019, but he still produced the worst PFF grade of his career in that span. His run blocking was the key driver in the dip in play; he ended the regular season with a 56.4 run-block grade that ranked 55th among 89 qualifying players at the position and was by far the lowest mark of his NFL career.”

We see where PFF is going, but there are better candidates.

The first name that comes to mind is cornerback Donte Jackson, who suffered a regression in 2019 after a promising rookie year. Jackson remains extraordinarily fast and athletic. However, he has developed a habit of gambling in order to make big plays and opposing teams have taken advantage. Last season, Jackson allowed five touchdowns in coverage and a 103.2 passer rating. He also missed too many tackles. PFF took note, giving Jackson a 55.6 overall grade for the season. Jackson’s future could still be bright based on his physical gifts. Remember, there was a time when Marcus Peters went through a similar phase early in his career, and he’s since become one of the top 10 corners in the league.

Another quality candidate is the guy who may start on the other side, former Saints cornerback Eli Apple. He only gave up two touchdowns in 2019, but his passer rating when targeted was 100.9, a significant bump from the previous season. While PFF appreciated his run defense, Apple only got a 63.8 rating for the year. He’s in a similar situation as Jackson. With the right coaching, both could turn their careers around.

The best potential bounce-back player on the Panthers this year though is their starting center, Matt Paradis. He signed a three-year deal with Carolina last March and was supposed to offer a smooth transition into the post-Ryan Kalil era. Unfortunately, Paradis had a brutal 2019 season in pass protection. In the end, he earned a 43.8 pass blocking grade from PFF, bringing his overall grade down to 63.4 overall.

Part of Paradis’ issues may have been due to the fractured fibula he suffered the previous year. Sometimes it takes more than a season to fully recover from that kind of serious leg injury. The continually revolving door at left guard didn’t help Paradis, either. If he’s able to return to form in 2020, it will be a huge boost for Carolina’s entire offense. When healthy, Paradis has been one of the highest-ranked centers in PFF’s grading in the past.

Let’s open this up to a vote. Who do you think is this year’s top bounce-back candidate?

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