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[Carolina Panthers]

Panthers focused on improving physicality of their defense

Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images

Reading between the lines on offseason plans and comments shows a renewed focus on the running game

With the first week of organized team activities (OTAs) in the books, coaches are heaping praise on every step of their plan to build a competitive Carolina Panthers team for the 2025 season. We are firmly in the regularly scheduled “X player is in the best shape of his life” portion of the off season. For all the coach and agent speak that is going to flood the NFL news cycle over the coming months, there is plenty that we can read between the lines if we pay attention.

Specifics of their plans for scheme or player rotation changes are obviously being held very close to the chest right now. Many of these things are also highly fluid at the moment as coaches are only just beginning to see how their new additions work together. The Panthers defense has been almost entirely remade from the squad that started most of the 2024 season.

Coach Speak​

Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero spoke yesterday about how they are evolving the defense beyond just the roster changes.

“We’re trying to really reinforce being physical and coming off the ball and getting some knockback and, we want to make sure that well that’s a big part of what we do,” Evero said Wednesday. This sounds a lot like your average coach speak that boils down to an offensive coach saying they want to score more touchdowns or a defensive coach saying they want to prevent more touchdowns.

Sure, obviously.

But it also rings as the simple truth for a Panthers team that was consistently getting knocked off the ball on defense and letting opposing teams run at will against them. This year projects to be different.

Personnel changes​

For one, the team has finally signed an actual nose tackle to line up in a zero technique in their 3-4 base scheme. The team isn’t going to spend even a majority of their time in that alignment, but it will be central to how they want to defend the run on an average down. Bobby Brown III is going to be an anchor that allows guys like A’Shawn Robinson and the returning Derrick Brown to do more than just be generally in the way of opposing offensive linemen.

Free agent additions defensive end Tershawn Wharton and outside linebacker Patrick Jones II both come to the Panthers with more sacks in rotational roles in 2024 than any Panther playing that entire season. D.J. Wonnum is their stiffest competition, having posted four sacks in half a season of play. Wharton (6.5 sacks) and Jones (7) figure to upgrade a team whose talent could not find its footing last season.

Those guys alone represent a huge upgrade, but that doesn’t account for the Panthers spending two top 100 picks on edge rushers in Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen who will immediately upgrade the depth in their stable of pass rushers while also, hopefully, setting the stage for the future of their position.

The bulk of the Panthers investments in both free agency and the draft were up front on defense. The secondary has been a secondary priority this off season, with only two new faces expected to make the final roster at safety between Tre’von Moehrig and Lathan Ransom, and one veteran, Christian Rozeboom, signed to replace the recently released Shaq Thompson at inside linebacker.

Looking back and looking forward​

Consider that the Panthers 2024 top five sack leaders included, at number four, inside linebacker Josey Jewell with 3.5 sacks (two sacks behind first place), and, at number five, outside linebacker Charles Harris with 3 sacks. Harris’ inclusion is particularly embarrassing for the Panthers as he was waived after Week 9 as the team’s then sack leader.

Brown III, Wharton, Jones II, Scourton, and Umanmielen guarantee an improvement in the physicality of this team. That is a very low bar to clear. The question in front of Evero is whether or not that improvement will be sufficient to raise the Panthers to having a competitive defense in the NFL.

We’ll find out when the regular season starts, but it is at least encouraging that the coaching staff is focusing on the right questions out of the gate.

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...or-tershawn-wharton-patrick-jones-bobby-brown

 

[Carolina Panthers]

CSR Weekend Warriors: 5/30-6/1

Here’s a fresh weekend open thread just for you.

Feel free to use this thread to hang out over the weekend and chat about whatever you want (just make sure you follow the ToS ... the rules still apply here) with anyone who decides to stick around.

This is now an open thread!

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/2025/5/30/24437148/csr-weekend-warriors-5-30-6-1

 

[Carolina Panthers]

2025 season opener countdown

Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images

Our countdown has begun

May 31st marks 99 days to go until the Carolina Panthers open their season against the Jacksonville Jaguars. That means it is time for our annual roster countdown. We’ll profile either the player whose jersey number corresponds with the number of days remaining in the offseason or, if no player is currently wearing that number, a player who historically wore that number as a Panther.

This is it, folks. Football is back on the horizon. There are more OTAs in June, training camp begins in July, and the preseason is in August. Check out our full list of important offseason dates here.

This story stream will collect our whole countdown series, so check back if you missed a player profile along the way.

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/2025/5/31/24439907/carolina-panthers-2025-season-opener-countdown

 

[Carolina Panthers]

2025 Season Opener Countdown: 98 Days To Go

Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

We’re counting down the days until the Panthers open up the 2025 season!

Hello CSR! We’re diving right back into our traditional countdown to the Panthers first game of the NFL season. For today’s countdown, we take a deeper look at number 98; EDGE DJ Wonnum!

EDGE DJ Wonnum​

Wonnum entered the NFL as a 4th round pick during the 2020 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings out of The University of South Carolina. The former Gamecock played 62 games for The Vikings with 31 starts, logging 23 sacks, 171 tackles, 49 QB hits, and 11 pass deflections in that span (per Pro Football Reference). He was a major contributor on that defense, and in both of his seasons with 14 starts he logged 8 sacks each. He suffered a season ending quadriceps injury in late December of 2023, ending his contract year with the Vikings on a sour note.

Then, he came to Carolina in the 2024 Offseason on a 2 year, $12.5 million deal. Unfortunately, Wonnum missed the first half of the season due to some major complications as a result of the surgeries to repair said injury, including a MRSA infection and blood clots that put him through a very scary part of his life. He was able to get back from it, starting 8 games and logging 4 sacks, 37 tackles and 6 QB hits as the Panthers eased him back into the full rotation.

For Carolina, with the release of Jadeveon Clowney, DJ Wonnum is an important veteran edge piece in 2025. His contract gets a bit more expensive as his cap hit jumps from almost $4 million from 2024 to almost $8 million in 2025 (with some void years attached, all per Spotrac), but now that Clowney is off the books, that becomes a lot easier to stomach from a cap perspective. Wonnum should fill the primary edge rusher role as a starter early on while the Panthers figure out how to use the tandem of Patrick Jones and rookies Nic Scourton/Princely Umanmielen, along with their other depth pieces to fill out the edges. A fully healthy Wonnum could be primed for a major bounce back season with the reinforcements Carolina has brought along the edges and on the interior for the defensive line.

Are you excited to see what DJ Wonnum brings to the table in 2025, Panthers fans?

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...son-opener-countdown-98-days-to-go-d-j-wonnum

 

[Carolina Panthers]

Reacts Results: Scourton edges out other rookies in the expectations game

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images

The Carolina Panthers have a collection of rookies on defense who could all earn significant playing time on a shallow roster. The Panthers are widely known for having one of the worst defenses in NFL history in 2024. A few free agency signings and the return of a healthy Derrick Brown are unlikely to turn the Panthers into an over night success story. That leaves the door wide open for any of Nic Scourton, Princely Umanmielen, Lathan Ransom, and Cam Jackson to make a big, early impact.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, most Panthers fans think that the Panthers second pick in the 2025 NFL draft will have the biggest impact on the team this season. The vast majority of y’all think it will be between Scourton and Umanmielen, the team’s second and third round picks respectively.

It may seem basic that the Panthers invested most in their position of greatest need, edge rusher, but basic answers are often how you address obvious problems. The front seven of the Panthers defense was in need of major overhaul this offseason and, after addressing the interior of their defensive line in free agency, the edge was due for the most focus.

This isn’t a problem of tunnel vision or erring towards need over the more popular concept of Best Player Available. The Panthers worked their board to end the draft with the players they could both afford to draft and best improve their team with.

After years of half measures and inconsistencies, it’s been nice to see Dan Morgan and Brandt Tilis work the offseason in such a way as to enter the 2025 season with fewer glaring holes on their roster than they started out with. It’s baby steps, yes, but that’s how we all started walking.

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...ic-scourton-princely-umanmielen-rookie-impact

 

[Carolina Panthers]

Brian Asks: We’re kicking off June! Bring your questions!

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images

Bring us all your questions in the comments for this week’s edition of YOUR Panthers fan mailbag!

Hello CSR! Welcome to Brian Asks, part one of your weekly Panthers fan mailbag for everyone! We’re into June and roughly 3 months away from meaningful Panthers football again, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to discuss! In the world of the NFL, Saquon Barkley was named the 2025 Madden cover athlete, meaning once again the Panthers did not grace the cover. Shame, I think Bryce Young as the cover athlete would be really fun!

I kid I kid, but it just goes to show that this is the relatively slow season in the NFL world. Not a lot is going on aside from minor trades, such as the 49ers acquiring defensive end Bryce Huff from the Eagles. The Panthers could still stand to add some talent, especially in their secondary, but short of an off the cuff trade like that one, I don’t see it happening until closer to August. And that’s fine!

So, come ask your questions so we can keep our discussion going in the off-season, whether they be Panthers related, football related, or even completely off-topic! I’m down for some video game questions if you’d like an idea! Comment down below with your questions, and I’ll have some answers later on this week in part two of the mailbag, Brian Answers.

Thank you so much for the continued participation, and KEEP POUNDING!

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...ks-were-kicking-off-june-bring-your-questions

 

[Carolina Panthers]

Social media loves some Bryce Young stats

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images

Bryce Young’s 2024 comeback story told by a collection of interesting stats and graphs from the internet

After the tumultuous start to Bryce Young’s career, there were very few people left on the planet who still maintained belief that he would be a good NFL quarterback. It’s no exaggeration to say that the first 18 games of his career were cumulatively some of the worst from a first overall pick in NFL history.

A complete rebuild of the offensive coaching staff and offensive line for the Carolina Panthers gave us an offseason of optimism in 2024. The theory was that the Panthers had elevated the offense to a point that evaluators would be able to get a true evaluation of Young. The hope inherent in that theory came crashing down almost instantly after Young’s very first pass attempt of the season was intercepted.

Bryce Young's first pass attempt of the 2024 season is an interception.

: @NFL pic.twitter.com/qy6daPSNNP

— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) September 8, 2024​

About 7.5 quarters of football later, Young had been benched and Andy Dalton was set to start for the foreseeable. The media lambasted the organization and effectively eulogized Young’s lost career while fans dialed up photoshopped images of Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders in process blue.

But then Young was thrust back into the lead role after Dalton was in a minor car accident and fans feared more of the same was coming. Instead, something seemed to click in a big way.

He went from looking barely competent in the first game, to winning a couple games against poor opponents. Then he took both eventual Super Bowls teams and the NFC South division winner (the Kansas City Chiefs, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for those of y’all following along at home) to the wire in 3 straight games, followed by shining in the final 3 games of the season to cap it off with his best game as an NFL player.

On the back stretch of the season, Young passed the eye test for most onlookers. But the eye test is not the only thing that matters any more. Now there are a million and one ways to evaluate players based on numbers alone. Spend 15 minutes on the football side of social media and you’re bound to see a new chart, graph or statistic that adds context to Young’s final stretch.

Impressive as they are when you are just scrolling by, taking an in-depth look at them all at once paints the story of just how impressive the sophomore signal caller was to cap the season.

Impressive accuracy​

First of all, a big thanks to Jacob Gibbs of CBS Sports for putting the below tables together and including some corresponding film cut-ups. They tell quite the story of Young’s ability when given time to operate in the pocket.

Bryce Young delivered a 91% catchable ball rate on throws of 5-9 air yards without pressure in 2024.

QB5 out of 39 qualifiers

(Source: @FantasyPtsData) https://t.co/CYgnG3s1kq pic.twitter.com/IJl5wKRJLG

— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) May 26, 2025​

In the short area of the field, Young was a standout. While being QB5 in catchable ball rate is great, taking the second and first spots in ‘highly accurate throw % to open receivers’ and ‘highly accurate throw %’ are exactly what you wanted to see from him. Young’s career depends on him being able to thrive in the quick game due to the limited margin for error afforded to him due to his physical tools.

Bryce Young delivered a 71% catchable ball rate on throws of 10-19 air yards without pressure in 2024.

QB25 out of 39 qualifiers

(Source: @FantasyPtsData) https://t.co/uJVdewNMJs pic.twitter.com/aR6sVFXM96

— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) May 23, 2025​

It can’t all be sunshine and rainbows, so here’s the black mark on an otherwise impressive set of statistics from here on out. Well, maybe of a more of a gray mark to be honest. The intermediate areas of the field between the 10 and 19 yard were not his forte in 2024, as evidence by the middling numbers in each category. The glass half-full take is that Young’s worst category being the league median is a welcome outcome given how the season started.

Bryce Young delivered a 60% catchable ball rate on throws of 20+ air yards without pressure in 2024.

QB10 out of 33 qualifiers

(Source: @FantasyPtsData)

Young's receivers dropped 11% of these targets, the second-highest rate in the NFL. https://t.co/qf23F7LFYR pic.twitter.com/IM8zFLlB3x

— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) May 20, 2025​

The last area of the field is perhaps Young’s most impressive, not because of his final rankings, but rather because the vastness of the comparison between where he started his career to how he finished 2024. For the entirety of 2023 and the first 2 games of 2024, Young looked afraid to target down the field - and when he did it was rarely on-target. In the recap for Young’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers, his last game before being benched, I laid out the stats that led to the following conclusion:

Instead of letting plays develop, [Canales] saw an uncomfortable quarterback who threw the ball inaccurately, into tight coverage, over as short of a distance and as soon as possible.

Young went from deep passing being the overwhelming low-point of his game, to top 10 in the league in throwing highly accurate and catchable balls for his receivers down the field. If any set of statistics characterizes Young’s drastic improvement as pocket quarterback in 2024, it’s this set.

Aggressive but efficient​

While Young’s shift towards attacking down the field more consistently is one way Young became more aggressive, it wasn’t the only way.

How often QBs throw to tight windows and their throw open rate on those tight window throws (loosely think of it as throws in tight windows where only the receiver could make play on the ball) pic.twitter.com/xuJb0lS7F2

— Jrfortgang (@throwthedamball) January 7, 2025​

According to the chart, Young was arguably the best quarterback in the NFL when it came to dropping the football into a spot where only his receiver had a chance to get the ball. Young wasn’t scared to target someone who had a defender near them, trusting his guys to make a play while trusting himself not to put the football at risk. While you don’t want your quarterback to feel forced to constantly throw the ball into tight windows, it’s reassuring to know that he’s not going to put it into harms way when they play dictates it.

Young (back as starter) scrambled far more often when facing disruption (47% vs 25%) allowing him to extend disruption plays by an extra 0.6 seconds.

The results for his production against disruption... going from Cousins spot to this pic.twitter.com/9vGpLJiBgb

— Jrfortgang (@throwthedamball) May 12, 2025​

Not only was Young capable of making plays in structure when he wasn’t pressured, he was also able to make the most out of the plays that didn’t go smoothly from the snap. Instead of feeling the pressure and taking the conservative throw-away or dump-off options, Young found ways to extend plays just enough to find the best throw. It takes an aggressive, playmaking mindset for a player to produce an EPA per play on par with Lamar Jackson, Jayden Daniels and Joe Burrow.

It could have been even better​

While there are plenty of stats to go around that tell the story of Young’s personal performance, there’s others floating around the give you an idea of what he was working with.

Most dropped air yards on on-target throws:

1. BRYCE YOUNG - 210
2. Bo Nix - 163
3. Baker Mayfield - 132
4. Derek Carr - 128
5. Geno Smith - 123 https://t.co/FRR7PZzKWt

— Fantasy Points Data (@FantasyPtsData) May 20, 2025​

It’s disconcerting enough to see that Young’s dropped air yards lead the NFL before you realize he played 7 fewer games than most of the other league leaders in the category. Who’s to say what Young’s production would be if Xavier Legette or David Moore found a way to bring in a few more of those deep attempts by Young? Alas, that’s an argument that’s been had many times already. Another year of development for the young receiving group and the addition of Tetairoa McMillan might be just what the doctor ordered.

That’s all I have for you today, Panthers fans. If you have any other interesting stats you’ve come across or want to share your takeaways from the posts I’ve accumulated, make sure to drop them in the comments section below!

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...erback-optimism-2025-season-carolina-panthers

 

[Carolina Panthers]

Brian Answers: Summertime Answers roundup

Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

We bring you the answers to your questions this week! And a lot of off topic answers this time!

Hello CSR! Welcome to Brian Answers, part two of your weekly Panthers fan mailbag for everyone! As the heat of the summer roles on, the Aaron Rodgers’ of the world finally get signed, and teams head into OTAs, this can be the dead part of the off-season. However, I’m bringing you answers to all your questions every week, whether they be Panthers related, football related, or even completely off topic! This week, you all indulged a bit more into the off topic stuff, let’s dive right in. And bring us some more questions next week!

MarloBarksdale99: Which LB leads the team in tackles this year?

Also have you played Expedition 33? After I beat Persona 5 that will be my next RPG I play. Aka, I’m gonna start Expedition 33 and get back to Persona 5 in about 7.3 months.

I think Josey Jewell is a safe bet to lead the team in tackles, though Christian Rozeboom could certainly challenge for that if thrust into meaningful action. I’m still not entirely sure what Rozeboom’s role in the starting defense will be, I don’t think they are starting the season by fully handing off the full time role to Trevin Wallace.

I have not played it yet. I probably will, though when I refer to it as another Paper Mario game, my friends seem to get very upset.

Revshawn: What do you think of the King of the Hill Reboot trailer and the leaks?

I’m actually excited to see it. I think King of the Hill wasn’t quite as appreciated as some of its peers of the genre back in the 90s/early 2000s. I think seeing how the writers adapt to a different political/social environment with those characters should be really fun. I’m excited to see what the full story arc with Bobby is as well.

TLGPanthersFan: Favorite summer activity that you only do in the summer?

Do you think this could possibly be a year where the pundits underestimate the Panthers?

I’m finally making my return to outdoor concerts this year, something I haven’t done in awhile. Also going kayaking for the first time, and I have my own!

I actually think the media is a bit optimistic as a whole about the Panthers. Granted, this is the time of year where most outlets are just looking for new reasons to talk about football during the dead zone, so the Panthers “maybe being good” is something they haven’t had a ton of reason to talk about for the last few seasons. But it seems like them being a .500 or even slightly above .500 team wouldn’t be a shock for most media outlets, or the ones whose opinions I respect anyway. We’ll see how those narratives spin once training camp and the preseason starts though, especially if the offense looks as bad as it did last time around during the preseason games, starters or not.

PantherBlueBlood: Who do you think will be KR this year? I always liked Blackshear but I felt Horn could make a push for that position. Now, today I see Etienne use to return Kicks and has virtually same stats as Horn. Between these three players who do you think is odd man out for the 53 man roster? Or will all three be there.

I think Raheem Blackshear is the odd man out at this point. Despite flashes here and there in his past Panthers seasons, they invested a 4th and 6th rounder in guys who could take those reps and be more dynamic in said role. Blackshear was sniped up off of waivers, so not a ton of investment there. I think Blackshear could make the practice squad but could also be one of those infamous “on speed dial” players the Panthers can call in the event of an injury.

I think the role ends up going to Jimmy Horn Jr as the punt returner and a combination of Horn and Trevor Etienne for kick returns.

GooseCreek: Hi, Brian. The discussions involving Horn and Etienne as returners has me wondering if either/both have ball security issues. I don’t keep up with college football nearly as closely as I used to so do you have any insight on the subject?

I can still remember how I was blasted for panning the Joe Adams pick back in 2012 noting the fact that he fumbles too often. Then, by the third game of that rookie season, the fourth round pick had been benched because of his penchant for fumbles and soon thereafter waived.

I had a hard time finding any statistics on Jimmy Horn Jr in college as far as fumbles go. I took a look at a few draft profiles for him and none of them mentioned a ball security issue, though for his size I could certainly see it MAYBE being a problem. But overall, no red flags I can detect yet. For Trevor Etienne, per FoxSports he was credited with only one fumble lost as a rusher (though he was credited with 4 total fumbles on his career, but only the one lost). As a kick returner, his role slowly diminished up until his final season where he didn’t return any kicks, and as a punt returner, fielding those was rare all throughout his college career.

I don’t think you can glean too much from their college careers as far as ball security issues, as the NFL is a completely different animal and speed. They both should have value at their respective offensive positions so that obviously helps their chances of sticking around. But I don’t think we’ll be able to identify ball security issues until we see them fielding kicks and punts in actual game situations. But if anyone reading had any increased exposure to their return reps, feel free to share in the comments below!

@WTMealey: Ok we’re forming an Ocean’s Eleven with current and former Panthers. Who are the Panthers and what are their skills that will help us pull of a heist? Ok if you can’t come up with eleven even though it is a nice football number?

1. Obviously Luke Kuechly comes to mind as the guy to study the vaults and security patterns/tendencies.
2. Cam Newton’s gotta be the guy you can count on at the poker table in the clutch, and to be able to talk/smile his way out of a bad situation.
3. You gotta have Greg Olsen working the communications, he’s just so eloquent and thoughtful.
4. Steve Smith will rough up somebody when needed.
5. Thomas Davis to rally the troops.
6. Julius Peppers, you always need the silent but deadly type.
7. Chris Gamble, same as Peppers.
8. J.J. Jansen, you always need his comedic relief and veteran experience.
9. Dan Morgan, working deals on the back end but has all the front line experience too.
10. James Bradberry, you always need someone who can fix a toilet on the fly, and he was doing that the night he was drafted!
11. Armanti Edwards, you always need that promising young recruit who will disappear without a trace. (Just kidding Armanti, you know we love you!)

That’s all for this week Panthers fans! Join us again for another edition of the mailbag next week, and KEEP POUNDING!

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/2025/6/6/24444076/brian-answers-summertime-answers-roundup

 

[Carolina Panthers]

2025 Season Opener Countdown: 92 Days To Go

He’s number 92 now. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

We’re counting down the days until the Panthers open up the 2025 season!

There are 92 days left until the first day of the Carolina Panthers 2025 season. With that, we talk about the man wearing number 92 for the Panthers, defensive lineman Tershawn Wharton.

One offseason after investing most of their available resources in shoring up the offensive line, the Panthers’ front office did the same for their defensive front this offseason. One of the pickups was Tershawn Wharton. He had spent the previous five seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and won two Super Bowls. He wasn’t a full time starter for them but he was a key piece on what was generally a solid front. He’s coming off his best season; he registered 6.5 sacks and 11 quarterback hits.

Wharton originally latched on with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent coming out of Missouri S&T (not a typo) in 2020. He impressed enough to make the final roster coming out of camp, and he held his spot down for five years before departing for the Panthers.

The Panthers are banking on Wharton continuing the steady upward trend of his career so far with the increased opportunities he’s going to get in Carolina. They did well with the last T. Wharton they brought in. Hopefully Tershawn makes that two for two.

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...ener-countdown-tershawn-wharton-92-days-to-go

 

[Carolina Panthers]

2025 Season Opener Countdown: 91 Days To Go

Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

We’re counting down the days until the Panthers open up the 2025 season!

We are less than three months away from the first NFL Sunday of the 2025 season. More specifically, there are just 91 days until the Carolina Panthers kick off the campaign. As per usual, we recognize the day by profiling the player wearing 91 for the good guys. Today is new edge Patrick Jones II.

Jones came into the NFL to the Vikings via a third round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Minnesota has generally been flush with edge rushers over the last few seasons, so Jones always functioned as a rotational piece. In his fourth season, he set career highs in sacks (7), tackles (39), QB hits (12), and tackles for loss (9). That breakout season earned him a two year, $15 million contract with the Panthers this offseason.

Jones will join fellow Minnesota castoff DJ Wonnum on the front lines. Neither are dominant pass rushers, but the Panthers are hoping that enough decent talent puts enough pressure on opposing fronts to manufacture at least a little bit of effectiveness. There won’t be much pressure to perform with the pair of former Vikings and two incoming rookies to all split the attention. At the very least that’ll make this front seven better than what the Panthers had last season.

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...ener-countdown-patrick-jones-ii-91-days-to-go

 

[Carolina Panthers]

Reacts Survey: Should the Panthers make any secondary moves?

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

There are options to bolster Carolina's thin secondary

It's no secret that the Carolina Panthers still have a ways to go in their quest to upgrade their defense into a competitive squad. Completely revamped defensive line and edge rushing units look better on paper, but still present as giant questionmarks until fans get to see them in action. The secondary, however, has received little attention.

The only significant addition has been fifth round draft pick Lathan Ransom at safety. Otherwise the headlines have been about retaining talent, such as with the re-signing of Mike Jackson and extending of Jaycee Horn.

The Panthers have serious depth concerns behind Horn and Jackson at corner. Nickle corner has little in the way of recognizeable or trusted talent, and Ransom is a real threat to start at strong safety. The fact is that the Panthers are still in need of a talent infusion in their secondary.

The good news is that there are options for that infusion that may be available within the Panthers current means. Veteran free agent safeties like Julian Blackmon and Justin Simmons should be available at a reasonable cost and aging superstar corner Jalen Ramsey may be available via trade with the Miami Dolphins.

This week we want to know what y'all want the Panthers to do about the current roster. Sign a vet? Make a splash trade? Or even sit pat and see what the team has through training camp? Let us know!

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Carolina Panthers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...n-ramsey-trade-julian-blackmon-justin-simmons

 

[Carolina Panthers]

Brian Asks: High time for the Panthers to make some free agency moves

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

We’re bringing you another edition of this week’s Panthers fan mailbag. Come ask your questions!

Hello CSR! Welcome to Brian Asks, part one of your weekly Panthers fan mailbag for everyone! We’re chugging along with the slower part of the off-season, but the NFL never truly sleeps. This week, some of the teams are making moves as we enter the third wave of the free agency part of the off-season: moves after June 1st. Just this week, the Packers released long time cornerback Jaire Alexander, while the Bengals also moved on from linebacker Germaine Pratt. While fans have been clamoring for the Panthers to make some moves on defense for weeks, this might be the time to make a signing or two. So, for this week’s topic of the week; what questions do you have about the players out there/the moves the Panthers could make?

To recap, Brian Asks is part one of our weekly mailbag, comment down below with all your questions, whether they be Panthers related, football related, or even completely off topic! I’ll have some answers for you later this week in part two of this exercise, Brian Answers. Hit me with your questions in the comments, and KEEP POUNDING!

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...r-the-panthers-to-make-some-free-agency-moves

 

[Carolina Panthers]

The Panthers have a chance to make a run at Jaire Alexander

Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers have been frequently speculated as a landing spot for the former Pro Bowl corner.

The Green Bay Packers released Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander on Monday. Given the relatively slow news cycle and otherwise dry free agent pool, fans of just about every team are going want their team to make a run at him and justify why they should in fact be his preferred destination.

The Carolina Panthers actually have a legitimate case to be at or near the top of his list. They have a decent setup on the outside with Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson, but a healthy Jaire Alexander turns that corner group into one of the more intimidating ones in the league. From the Panthers side, they’ll feel comfortable that the room would be solid enough to withstand missed games from the recently injury prone Alexander.

But the big appeal is simply where the Panthers are located. Alexander grew up in the Charlotte area, attending Rocky River High School in Mint Hill, which is a suburb of Charlotte. And this isn’t just fan pontification because of his hometown. He clearly has love for where he’s from. While he was at Louisville, he talked about wanting to return to Charlotte in the future, and he tried to stay in the Carolinas to play college football, but it didn’t work out. When his Packers were visitors at Bank of America Stadium, he made himself an honorary captain for the pregame coin toss and almost made a mess of it.

Alexander’s love of Charlotte is quite apparent, and now there’s a potential union with his boyhood team sitting right there. The Panthers should be interested if the price is right, and this is one of those rare instances where a hometown discount might actually be in play. Hunter Renfrow reached out to the Panthers so he could get an opportunity to play for the team he grew up near. There’s a chance Jaire Alexander could do something similar, and the Panthers should definitely entertain the idea.

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...ave-a-chance-to-make-a-run-at-jaire-alexander

 

[Carolina Panthers]

2025 Season Opener Countdown: 88 Days To Go

Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

We’re counting down the days until the Panthers open up the 2025 season!

In this series, we’ll be counting down until opening kickoff by running through the Panthers roster by jersey number. Today’s piece looks at the current and historical players to have ever donned No. 88 for the Carolina Panthers.

Current Player: Dan Chisena​

Chisena (6’3”, 202 lbs) was originally signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent following the 2020 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he made the active roster and even logged 14 tackles while exclusively playing on special teams. Since then, Chisena has bounced around practice squads, joining the Pittsburgh Steelers, returning to the Vikings, joining the Arizona Cardinals, signing with the Baltimore Ravens, and returning to the Cardinals before signing on with the Panthers practice squad in October of 2024.

After joining Carolina, Chisena nearly doubled his career offensive snaps with a whopping 19 snaps in six games (he also had 81 special teams snaps). His limited offensive time did not diminish his importance to the team, as he led the entire NFL with 67% of his receptions resulting in a first down*. Chisena’s best play came against one of his former teams, as the Panthers faced a third and five from their own 19 yard line against the Cardinals late in the fourth quarter. Bryce Young found Chisena for a 23 yard gain, which helped the Panthers run more clock in a game they eventually won in overtime. With the additions to the wide receiver room the last couple of seasons, don’t expect to see a ton of Chisena outside of special teams snaps (barring injury). Still, we’ll always have that one random third down catch where we all went “who?”

*He only had three catches, so he did not actually qualify for the league lead.

Notable Previous Players to wear number Terrace Marshall Jr, Greg Olsen, Dante Rosario, Karl Hankton, Pete Metzelaars​

The most recent Panther to don the 88 was the first of Carolina’s recent wasted second round wide receivers. He was released following the 2023 season and signed with the Las Vegas Raiders where he did less than Dan Chisena for the offense. He is now with the Philadelphia Eagles. By far the best player to wear 88 and the reason it will likely be taken out of rotation by the Panthers was Greg Olsen. The Panthers acquired Olsen from the Chicago Bears for a third round pick in 2011. From there, Olsen became a pillar for the offense and ultra reliable target for Cam Newton. While in Carolina, he became the first tight end in NFL history to have three consecutive thousand yard receiving seasons. After a year with the Seattle Seahawks, Olsen signed a one day contract to retire as a Panther in 2021. Before Olsen really took off at tight end, Dante Rosario was the big tight end sporting the 88 that had fans excited. While he had a decent career with the Panthers, he never quite lived up to the hype the fans created. Karl Hankton mostly played as a special teamer while occasionally moonlighting as a wide receiver, including on the Super Bowl bound 2003 team. The first player to wear 88 for the Panthers was Pete Metzelaars, a tight end who spent most of his career with the Buffalo Bills.

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...na-2025-season-opener-countdown-88-days-to-go

 

[Carolina Panthers]

The Scratching Post: 6/10-6/13

Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Here’s this week’s open thread.

Greetings, internet users. Welcome to The Scratching Post.

Feel free to use this thread to chat about (almost) anything you want: video games, food, movies, non-football sports, you name it. As long as it’s allowed by the site’s ToS, it’s fair game here.

You know the drill.

This is now an open thread!

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/2025/6/10/24446649/the-scratching-post-6-10-6-13

 

[Carolina Panthers]

2025 Season Opener Countdown: 87 Days To Go

Brycen Tremayne has a long way to go to earn the same reputation as his jersey mate, Muhsin Muhammad. | SetNumber: X72442 TK4

We’re counting down the days until the Panthers open up the 2025 season!

In this series, we’ll be counting down until opening kickoff by running through the Panthers roster by jersey number. Today’s piece looks at the current and historical players to have ever donned No. 87 for the Carolina Panthers.

Current Player: Brycen Tremayne​

Tremayne (6’4”, 212 lbs) is a big bodied, young receiver who has a lot to prove before he makes an NFL roster. The Stanford graduate was a 2023 UDFA pick up by the Washington Commanders who spent 2024 out of football.

Tremayne will be worth keeping an eye on if makes the practice squad. The Panthers relative abundance of talent at wide receiver will leave no room to spare on the 53-man roster. But with head coach Dave Canales' history as a wide receivers coach, a practice squad spot for Tremayne would suggest something of note in his game.

Notable Previous Players to wear number 87: Muhsin Muhammad II, Jeff King​

There have only been two Panthers to wear the number 87 jersey for longer than one season. Those players are Muhsin "Moose" Muhammad II (1996-2004, 2008-2009) and Jeff King (2006-2007).

Moose spent 11 seasons out of a 14 season NFL career with the Panthers, racking up 696 receptions for 9,225 yards and 50 touchdowns in 155 career games for the Panthers.

He is the second All-Time leading receiver (by yards) in Carolina Panthers history and possibly the most successful second round draft pick ever made by the Panthers franchise.

During Moose's brief misadventures with the Chicago Bears, his jersey was worn by tight end Jeff King. King played five of his seven NFL seasons with the Panthers after being drafted by them in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL draft.

King managed just shy of 1,000 yards receiving in his five seasons with the Panthers, which qualified him as a prolific and dynamic weapon under John Fox's feared offenses.

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...-brycen-tremayne-muhsin-muhammad-ii-jeff-king

 

[Carolina Panthers]

2025 Season Opener Countdown: 89 Days To Go

Jeremy Brevard-Imagn Images

We’re counting down the days until the Panthers open up the 2025 season!

In this series, we’ll be counting down until opening kickoff by running through the Panthers roster by jersey number. Today’s piece looks at the current and historical players to have ever donned No. 89 for the Carolina Panthers, with apologies for this mornings scheduling snafu.

Current Player: none​

No player has worn the number 89 for the Carolina Panthers since 2013 (during the regular season or playoffs). Literally no one. And with good reason. 89 will forever be a number that was last worn over a decade ago. That’s because the number belonged to one of the greatest Panthers ever: Steve Smith Sr. Smith (5’9”, 185 lbs) was drafted by the Panthers in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft out of the University of Utah. Thought by most to mainly be a dynamic returner, Smith took the first ball he touched in his NFL career to the house on a kickoff against the Minnesota Vikings.

From there, Smith continued to make plays in the return game and eventually on offense as well, pairing with Muhsin Muhammad to power the Panthers passing attack to the Super Bowl in 2003. Smith’s Panthers career ended in 2013 after a Hall of Fame worthy tenure, including winning the receiving triple crown in 2005. Smith was released following the 2013 season, after which he played for three years with the Baltimore Ravens. While that stint was not up to Agent 89’s standards, he was able to exact his revenge in the “Blood and Guts” game against the Panthers in 2014.

Smith was a fan favorite because of his intensity, diminutive stature, and trash talk on the field. From saying the other team could put his mother out there to guard him and he’d “beat her like a drum, too” to telling Aqib Talib to “ice up, son” after torching the Patriots, Smith will forever be remembered as one of the most entertaining and beloved players in franchise history. 89, bottom line.

Notable Previous Players to Wear Number 89: Rae Carruth, Walter Rasby​

The number 89 is synonymous with one of the greatest Panthers players ever, but before then it was synonymous with one of their darkest moments in team history. By now we’re all aware of the horrendous murder of his girlfriend and attempted murder of his unborn son Carruth committed. Luckily the son, Chancellor Lee Adams, survived and graduated from high school in 2021. The very first Panther to don the 89 was Walter Rasby back in 1995. The tight end from Washington, NC did not produce much in his three years in Carolina, but had a relatively successful 11 year career in the NFL.

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...th-2025-season-opener-countdown-89-days-to-go

 

[Carolina Panthers]

CSR Weekend Warriors: 6/13-6/15

Here’s a fresh weekend open thread just for you.

Feel free to use this thread to hang out over the weekend and chat about whatever you want (just make sure you follow the ToS ... the rules still apply here) with anyone who decides to stick around.

This is now an open thread!

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/2025/6/13/24448902/csr-weekend-warriors-6-13-6-15

 

[Carolina Panthers]

2025 Season Opener Countdown: 85 Days To Go

Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

We’re counting down the days until the Panthers open up the 2025 season!

The wait for the start of the Carolina Panthers season is down to just 85 days. As we approach that grand occasion, we celebrate the players wearing those numbers. Today’s number, 85, is sported by rookie tight end James Mitchell.

“The Governor,” as he’s apparently known, spent four years at Virginia Tech, though he only got significant playing time in the middle two seasons thanks to a season ending injury at the beginning of his senior year. He caught 52 balls for 838 yards and eight touchdowns during his college career.

He was selected in the fifth round by the Detroit Lions in 2022 but never found his footing there. His playing time diminished from year one to year two and he was relegated to the practice squad for his third season. He was picked up by the Panthers in January of this year after the Lions let his contract lapse.

Mitchell is going to have a tough battle to make the roster. Tommy Tremble, Ja’Tavion Sanders, and rookie Mitchell Evans are virtual locks to make the roster. A fourth tight end is going to have to provide special teams value, and to Mitchell’s credit, he does have experience there from his time with the Lions. That’s going to be his path to making the roster barring injury.

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...opener-countdown-85-days-to-go-james-mitchell

 

[Carolina Panthers]

2025 Season Opener Countdown: 84 Days To Go

MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

We’re counting down the days until the start of the 2025 Panthers season!

84 days to go until we get to watch real Carolina Panthers football, CSR! We’re celebrating that by taking a deeper dive on number 84 for the Panthers; rookie tight end Mitchell Evans!

Mitchell Evans was selected out of Notre Dame with the 163rd overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Panthers, joining his fellow Irishman Tommy Tremble in the tight end room. He caught 77 passes for 903 yards and 5 TDs in college (and ran for one touchdown too!), with the bulk of his receiving production coming in his final two seasons at Notre Dame. However, sandwiched between those two seasons, he tore his ACL towards the end of 2023 and was still recovering from it in 2024. Still, he played in all 16 games of his final college season even while still on the mend from said injury, meaning the 2025 rookie season might be our first look at him fully healthy in over a year.

Evans is described as a jack of all trades type tight end. He has good receiving skills without high end athleticism, and he’s a solid blocker with “adequate” strength. He’ll need to refine his blocking skills at the NFL level, and his ceiling as a receiver is certainly capped, but a player who can do a little bit of everything well should round out this tight end room quite nicely. With Ja’Tavion Sanders as the proven receiving threat, and Tommy Tremble a tremendous blocker with receiving upside he’s still scratching the surface of, Evans should comfortably fit in as a second tight end in just about every situation, especially if he really develops his blocking ability. I smell some tight end jail-break screens in his future on some heavy personnel looks!

I think Evans should at least see out his rookie contract as a Panther, and potentially more if he ends up being the solid well rounded player his draft profiles claim he is. What are your thoughts on #84 for the 2025 season, Panthers fans?

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/20...opener-countdown-84-days-to-go-mitchell-evans