Carolina Panthers cuts deadline tracker: 3 veterans cut to get to 53-man limit at deadline
The Panthers have put together their initial 53-man roster.
After a long evaluation process, the Panthers met the NFL’s 4 p.m. deadline to trim their roster. The team started the process on Saturday by cutting 11 players, shrinking the depth chart to 79.
The Observer set up this live deadline tracker to collect all of the news from the busy day that was.
Here are the latest updates on the Panthers’ roster movement:
Panthers reach limit after cutting three veterans
The Panthers released three veteran players to reach the 53-man limit on Tuesday afternoon.
The team announced the releases of offensive tackle Cam Erving, defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth and cornerback Greg Mabin following practice. All three dressed for the workout and took part in it before they were released.
Erving had been with the Panthers for the past two seasons and served as the team’s swing tackle last season. Mabin and Stallworth were signed before training camp this year.
The Panthers kept undrafted rookie offensive linemen Nash Jensen and Ricky Lee instead of Erving, who could return on the practice squad or after the team places an injured player on injured reserve on Wednesday. The Panthers kept training camp late arrivals, Nick Thurman and LaBryan Ray, over Stallworth. Carolina also went like at cornerback with just five players — including Jeremy Chinn — at the position.
All five of the team’s draft picks also made the roster, along with roster bubble players like tight ends Giovanni Ricci and Stephen Sullivan and wideout Derek Wright.
The roster is now at the 53-man limit.
Panthers reduce roster to 56 hours before 53-man deadline
Carolina made 24 additional roster-reducing moves on Tuesday morning to get its roster to 56 players hours before the 4 p.m. ET deadline.
Those moves have included putting the team’s starting right guard Austin Corbett on the PUP/active list and placing defensive end Henry Anderson on the injured reserve.
A list of the 22 players who were released Tuesday morning:
DB Eric Rowe
CB Stantley Thomas-Oliver
CB Mac McCain
WR Josh Vann
CB Herb Miller
OLB Jordan Thomas
G Deonte Brown
LB Ace Eley
G Justin McCray
G/T Sam Tecklenburg
WR Javon Wims
OLB Eku Leota
LB Deion Jones
OLB Kobe Jones
CB Mark Milton
DE Raequan Williams
G Michael Jordan
G J.D. Direnzo
RB Spencer Brown
Panthers’ Fitterer likes making trades before cut deadline: Looking at all the deals
A trio of former draft picks added to the cut list
The Panthers have waived wideout Shi Smith, according to a league source. Smith was a 2021 sixth-round pick of the Panthers. (READ MORE HERE.)
The team has also cut cornerback Keith Taylor, a 2021 fourth-round pick, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Fellow cornerback Stantley Thomas-Oliver, a 2020 seventh-round pick, was also waived, according to The Athletic’s Joe Person.
All three players were drafted during the Matt Rhule era. With a new regime in place, the team is moving on from several Rhule holdovers.
Carolina moves on from wideout
The Panthers added wide receiver Javon Wims to their cut list on Tuesday.
Wims flashed on offense and special teams after arriving late to camp in July. However, his performance was inconsistent in the preseason. With DJ Chark, Terrace Marshall and Laviska Shenault sidelined for the preseason finale, Wims didn’t do enough to stick around.
Following the trade for Smith-Marsette, this move seemed inevitable.
Panthers move on from 2022 fourth-round pick
The Panthers have turned the page on linebacker Brandon Smith.
On Tuesday, the team waived Smith ahead of Tuesday’s 4 p.m. 53-man roster deadline, three league sources told The Observer. Smith, 22, will now be subject to waivers.
The Panthers selected Smith with the 120th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft. The Penn State alum appeared in 12 games as a rookie before suffering an ankle injury. (READ MORE HERE.)
Panthers waive veteran wide receiver ahead of 53-man roster cut deadline
Rookie pass rusher waived
The Panthers have waived rookie pass rusher Eku Leota, a league source told The Observer.
The team signed Leota as an undrafted free agent in May. Leota had a promising summer, racking up pressures and would-be sacks regularly during training camp practice at Wofford College. He also flashed during the team’s three preseason games.
But with an undrafted status, Leota, an Asheville native, was vulnerable on the roster, especially after the signing of veteran Justin Houston earlier this month. With Houston, Brian Burns, Marquise Haynes, Yetur Gross-Matos, Amare Barno and third-round pick DJ Johnson likely to make up the pass rushing rotation, Leota was on the outside looking in.
Leota could get interest on the waiver wire. If he clears through the process, he could return to the Panthers through the practice squad.
As of now, the Panthers are at 73 players with 20 more moves to go.
Carolina moves on from another couple of linemen
The Panthers continue to chop away at their roster on the way to the 53-man roster limit.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Panthers plan to waive defensive lineman Raequan Williams, who had a strong preseason performance this summer. Williams appeared to be a dark horse to make the roster, but evidently Carolina felt otherwise.
According to The Athletic’s Joe Person, the Panthers plan to move from cornerback Mark Milton and guard JD DiRenzo as well. Both undrafted rookies will be subject to waivers, just like Williams.
Panthers final cuts: Carolina waives 2022 draft pick ahead of NFL’s final cut deadline
The Panthers move on from pair of veterans
The Panthers have moved on from a pair of veterans and promising practice-squad holdover.
First, the Panthers released linebacker Deion Jones, a league source confirmed to The Observer. ESPN was the first report the move.
Jones was brought in to strengthen the inside linebacker depth behind starters Shaq Thompson and Frankie Luvu. After a strong summer, Jones had a seemingly solid preseason. However, his special teams ability left something to be desired, and the third and fourth linebacker have to be able to play on special teams. Jones’ departure could lead to good news for Brandon Smith and Chandler Wooten.
The team also released veteran guard Michael Jordan and pass rusher Kobe Jones, a league source confirmed. The Athletic was the first report those two moves.
Jordan struggled mightily in the preseason as he rotated between guard and tackle positions. Jones, however, thrived early in training camp and seemingly outperformed third-round pick DJ Johnson throughout the summer.
Jordan and Jones will immediately become free agents, while Jones will be subject to waivers.
The Panthers roster is now at 77 following the Tuesday morning trade and the cuts of the three players above.
Panthers acquire receiver/returner in trade
Panthers GM Scott Fitterer kept his cut deadline trade streak alive on Tuesday.
Carolina and Kansas City will swap conditional 2025 seventh-round picks in a trade that will send wide receiver/return Ihmir Smith-Marsette from the Chiefs to the Panthers. Smith-Marsette, 24, was a member of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVII team last season.
Smith-Marsette (6-1, 185 lbs.) is known for his speed. The Iowa alum has only appeared in 16 career games, but has averaged 21.8 yards per catch on six career receptions for 131 yards and two touchdowns. He has also returned five kickoffs for 100 with a 20 yards per return average.
Smith-Marsette’s acquisition puts the Panthers’ roster at 80 players just hours before the 53-man roster limit ahead of the 4 p.m. (READ MORE HERE.)
Panthers trade for speedy wide receiver with return ability in swap with Chiefs
Former Panthers players get waived
For the nostalgic crowd, former Panthers players on other teams might be of interest. That group of players took a few hits in the days leading up to the cutdown deadline.
Three mainstays of the Matt Rhule era were cut at the start of the week. Tight end Cole Thompson, a longtime practice-squad player, was cut by the Minnesota Vikings on Monday. Former backup quarterback PJ Walker and nose tackle Bravvion Roy, who was waived by Carolina in July, were both cut as part of the Chicago Bears’ roster reductions. Walker will become a free agent on Tuesday, while Roy will be subject to waivers through Wednesday.
Veteran safety Sean Chandler, who played for the Panthers from 2020 to 2021, was released by the Arizona Cardinals on Monday. Chandler is set to be suspended for the first two games of the upcoming season with violating the league’s performance-enhancing substances policy.
Former Panthers seventh-round pick, cornerback Kalon Barnes, like Thompson, was also waived by the Vikings as part of the cut deadline. Barnes, who was drafted by Carolina last offseason, was waived during the cutdown period last year as well.
Safety Kenny Robinson, a 2020 fifth-round pick of the Panthers, was waived by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Robinson played for the Panthers from 2020 to 2022.
NFL final cuts: Explaining important dates, rules as Panthers work to get to 53-man limit
Panthers dropped 11 players on Saturday
The Panthers didn’t waste a lot of time with their initial wave of roster cuts. Less than 24 hours after the preseason finale against the Detroit Lions, Carolina cut 11 players to drop their roster number to 79.
The following players were part of the early roster exodus:
- QB Jake Luton
- RB Camerun Peoples
- OT Larnel Coleman
- WR C.J. Saunders
- DT Antwuan Jackson
- WR Gary Jennings
- K Matthew Wright
- S Collin Duncan
- S Josh Thomas
Final Panthers 53-man roster projection: Who will make up Frank Reich’s initial 2023 squad?
