Panthers make several roster moves, place key member of OL on injured reserve
Austin Corbett’s return from offseason ACL surgery lasted four games.
The Panthers placed Corbett (knee) and cornerback Dicaprio Bootle (knee) on injured reserve on Wednesday.
Corbett re-injured his surgically repaired left knee against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. Corbett wrote on social media Wednesday that he injured his MCL in the game.
Dicaprio also sustained a knee injury in the 33-10 loss at Bank of America Stadium.
The absences of both players will shake up the offensive line and secondary depth charts heading into the Week 12 matchup against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville.
More change on Panthers’ offensive line
Corbett struggled upon his return to the lineup in Week 8. While he was on the field for the Panthers first and only win of the season, against the Houston Texans, the veteran lineman was part of a trio of rough outings for the line during the team’s current three-game losing streak as well.
Despite his recent struggles, Corbett’s placement on injured reserve is a major setback for the line.
“I know that he has the resolve and fortitude that he’ll bounce back,” head coach Frank Reich said. “It’s unfortunate for him and for our team, but love him and what he’s contributed this year, even though it hasn’t been a ton on the field, it’s very significant.”
Left guard Chandler Zavala returned to the starting lineup against the Cowboys and struggled mightily. Center Bradley Bozeman and left tackle Ickey Ekwonu have also struggled with consistency this season.
Zavala, despite being a left guard in college, actually played much better at right guard in Week 1 while filling in for Corbett, who started the season on the physically unable to perform list. Zavala could, in theory, move back to right guard to replace Corbett.
Cade Mays and David Sharpe have starting guard experience, while Nash Jensen impressed during training camp. The team also signed Brett Toth earlier this month. The Panthers will need to reexamine the interior line, one again, after months of struggles for the group as a whole.
Turnstile in the Carolina secondary
Dicaprio had started the past two games in place of CJ Henderson (concussion protocol).
Henderson had been starting in place of Jaycee Horn (hamstring), who has missed the past nine games on injured reserve. But Horn is in the middle of his 21-day practice window to return to the field and his activation appears imminent.
The team also designated defensive back Jeremy Chinn (quadriceps) to return from injured reserve on Wednesday. Chinn has 21 days to be activated from injured reserve or he will miss the remainder of the season.
Chinn has been sidelined since early October after serving as the team’s big nickel corner for the first month of the season. If Henderson, Horn and Chinn can return over the next few weeks, the Panthers will have most of their Week 1 defensive back depth chart in place.
“See how those guys do during the week, how they respond to practice,” Reich said. “And, again, the whole group has been good and solid, so anxious for everybody get back when they can. We’ll see how the week plays out.”
Bootle became a special teams standout after signing with the Panthers in September. He also did a strong job against DJ Moore and CeeDee Lamb in consecutive weeks as a starting cornerback.
Quick hits
▪ The Panthers released their initial injury report on Wednesday:
Did not participate: OT Taylor Moton (rest), WR Adam Thielen (rest), TE Hayden Hurst (concussion).
Limited: LB Frankie Luvu (shoulder), CB Jaycee Horn (hamstring), CB CJ Henderson (concussion), OLB Marquis Haynes (back), DB Sam Franklin (quadriceps), DB Jeremy Chinn (quadriceps).
Full: QB Bryce Young (thigh).
▪ Wide receiver Adam Thielen was named the Panthers’ nominee for 2023 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award. According to the league, “the award is presented each year to an NFL player who best demonstrates the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents and integrity in competition.”
▪ Along with the injured reserve maneuvering, the Panthers signed center Justin McCray and cornerback AJ Parker to the practice squad on Wednesday. McCray had a previous stint with the Panthers’ practice squad earlier this season after spending the entire summer with Carolina. McCray, an experienced interior lineman, could be an option for elevation this week. Parker, listed as 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, played the past two seasons in Detroit and produced 47 tackles, seven pass breakups and an interception in 16 career games.
