Panthers shake up depth chart with eight roster moves after two training camp practices
The Carolina Panthers have shaken up the bottom of their roster after just two training camp practices.
The team announced Friday that it signed pass rusher Kemoko Turay, tight end Feleipe Franks, cornerback Kiondre Thomas and wide receiver Devin Carter. Those four players were signed following a pair of workouts this week.
Turay, listed as 6-foot-5 and 248 pounds, is the most notable name of the bunch. The 2018 second-round pick didn’t appear in a game last season after a failed stint with the Atlanta Falcons. Prior to that stop, Turay produced 34 tackles, 12 sacks and two forced fumbles in 41 combined games for San Francisco and Indianapolis.
The Rutgers alum joins a pass rusher group led by Jadeveon Clowney. The unit also has K’Lavon Chaisson, D.J. Johnson, Eku Leota, Cam Gill and others competing for jobs. D.J. Wonnum (quad) — a big free-agent addition — and Amare Barno (knee) are sidelined on the active/physically unable to perform (PUP) list. Turay’s arrival gives the Panthers added bodies on the thin depth chart.
“I feel good about the group,” GM Dan Morgan said about the pass rushers on Tuesday. “We signed some guys in free agency. D.J. is getting back healthy, he’s doing everything he can from a rehab standpoint to get back, he’s working his butt off. So, really proud of him and his progression — where he’s at right now.
“But ... we’re going to look to try to add depth at every position. Like I said before, outside linebacker is no different. We’re just going to try to add as many pieces as we can and create as much competition as we can, and we’ll just kind of handle it that way.”
Franks, a college QB-turned-NFL tight end, is listed as 6-6 and 234 pounds. From 2021 to 2022, Franks appeared in 20 games for the Falcons. He didn’t appear in a game last season, but has four career runs for six yards. Franks will compete for reps behind Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas in camp. Franks’ main competition — outside of fourth-round pick Ja’Tavion Sanders — will be Stephen Sullivan and Jordan Matthews.
Thomas is a 6-foot, 186-pound defensive back coming off a stint in the United Football League. He has appeared in five combined NFL games with the Los Angeles Chargers and Green Bay Packers. He has also played for the Cleveland Browns. Thomas enters a crowded safety room headlined by Xavier Woods, Jordan Fuller, Nick Scott and Sam Franklin.
Carter, an undrafted rookie, played college ball at West Virginia. The Clayton, North Carolina, native is listed as 6-foot-3 and 214 pounds. He will compete with newly-signed wideout Deven Thompkins, fellow undrafted rookie Jalen Coker and others for reps behind Adam Thielen, Diontae Johnson, Jonathan Mingo, Terrace Marshall Jr., Ihmir Smith-Marsette and first-round pick Xavier Legette.
In corresponding moves, the Panthers waived undrafted rookies Clayton Isbell, Sam Pinckney and Christian Duffie. They also moved wideout Cam Sims to the reserve/physically unable to perform (PUP) list.
Sims can no longer return to the field during camp and no longer counts toward the roster. Isbell, a safety, and Pinckney, a wideout, were undrafted signings from Coastal Carolina. Duffie, an offensive tackle, was also part of the team’s initial undrafted free-agent class in April.
The Panthers roster is at the 90-man limit.
This story was originally published July 26, 2024 at 4:26 PM.
