Latest news with #EjiroEvero
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Panthers DC Ejiro Evero talks about the state of the safety competition
The Carolina Panthers have already locked down one of their two starting safety spots for 2025. But the status of the second job is still up in the air . . . at least for now. Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero spoke with reporters following Tuesday's outing of training camp. He was asked about the state of the safety competition, where the Panthers are hoping to find a worthy running mate across from free-agent signee Tre'von Moehrig. "I feel good, I feel good," Evero replied. "Those guys are doin' a heck of a job. They're improving, they're growin'. Coach [Renaldo] Hill is doin' a great, great job with them. And just kinda seeing what Demani [Richardson] is doin', seeing what Lathan [Ransom] is doin', seeing what Nick [Scott] is doin'—it's a lot of excellent work and growth from their standpoint. And so, it's great. Competition makes the best of everybody, so we're seeing that come to life." Moehrig signed to a three-year, $51 million contract, the largest free-agent deal given out by the Panthers from this past spring. But finding a second starting safety hasn't been as simple. The edge currently belongs to the veteran in Scott, who was listed as a starter in the team's first unofficial depth chart from last week. He's being chased by the 2025 fourth-round pick in Ransom and Richardson, who started in five games for Carolina as a rookie in 2024. Evero later declined to classify the ongoing competition as a battle for one starting spot or as a gauge for a possible platoon article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers DC Ejiro Evero talks about state of the safety competition
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Panthers 2025 training camp tracker: Top takeaways and observations from Day 15
Despite a rain delay, the Carolina Panthers got their work in on Tuesday. Here are the top takeaways and observations from today's session of training camp . . . State of the safety competition Carolina's three coordinators hit the lectern this afternoon. The lineup started with defensive play-caller Ejiro Evero, who was asked about the current state of the safety competition between Nick Scott, Demani Richardson and Lathan Ransom. "I feel good, I feel good," he replied. "Those guys are doin' a heck of a job. They're improving, they're growin'. Coach [Renaldo] Hill is doin' a great, great job with them. And just kinda seeing what Demani [Richardson] is doin', seeing what Lathan [Ransom] is doin', seeing what Nick [Scott] is doin'—it's a lot of excellent work and growth from their standpoint. And so, it's great. Competition makes the best of everybody, so we're seeing that come to life." Scott seems to have the advantage for now, as he was listed as the second starter on the first unofficial depth chart alongside free-agent signee Tre'von Moehrig. 'NFL kickers' Special teams coordinator Tracy Smith talked about the kicking competition between veteran journeyman Matthew Wright and undrafted rookie Ryan Fitzgerald. "Both guys are doin' a really nice job," Smith stated. "Both made their kicks in the game—that's the most important part of it. And we're gonna keep going forward in the same way until it's time to figure it out." Wright made an extra point try in the first quarter of Friday's preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns. Fitzgerald later booted through a 32-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter. Smith was later asked if he thinks the Panthers have their answer in at least one of the two competitors. He stated that he believes they have "NFL kickers" on the team. Tuesday's outing saw Wright convert on four of his five attempts on the skinny posts. One-handed Horn Cornerback Jaycee Horn, whose thumb remains stitched up from last week's car crash, was a limited participant in practice. He was seen using one hand while taking part in individual drills. He was later asked about his status at the moment. "I'm good," he stated. "Just had to get some stitches. When I get them out, I'll be ready to roll." Horn added that he's unsure if he'll play in Saturday's preseason matchup with the Houston Texans. Top observationsThis article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers 2025 training camp tracker: Top takeaways from Day 15
Yahoo
10-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Panthers film review: Rookies flash in preseason opener against Browns
Carolina Panthers fans got just the second full look at their team this summer on Friday night, when they hosted the Cleveland Browns for the preseason opener. And now, it's time to get a second peek at that second look. With the NFL finally returning to some real in-game action, we took a dive into the All-22 film for some lessons from the 30-10 defeat. While sloppy at times, the Panthers proved to be a physical squad—bringing their effort despite the not-so-successful results. We also learned a few things about a few notable players. Here are a handful of key takeaways from the film . . . Bobby Brown III could be a huge piece in 2025 Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero had operated without a true nose tackle during his previous two years in Carolina. That has changed, now that the Panthers have added former Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Bobby Brown III. The 6-foot-4, 332-pounder should end up being a significant upgrade for this Panthers defense, which allowed a league-worst (by far) 179.8 rushing yards per contest in 2024. He has the ability to take on double teams and can be effective on passing downs, as evidenced by his team-high five pressures on Friday. Brown showed his power, quickness and penetration skills throughout the contest . . . Austin Corbett has the lead in the center battle The battle for the starting center job between Austin Corbett and Cade Mays may be the biggest one of all in Carolina this summer. And on Friday, Corbett showed why he's currently listed as the first-stringer. Corbett may have already returned to form after missing 12 games last season due to a biceps injury. He was consistent at resetting his hands and base when needed, anchoring well to stonewall interior rushes. Mays is a good mover for his size and will bully defenders as he so chooses. There were some instances where he contained stunt/twist games up front, with emphasis on anchoring and hand placement. However, there were times when defenders succeeded in attacking his outside shoulder, and he lost a rep or two in the process. This should be a competitive fight to the end, but Corbett has the lead and may not look back. Nic Scourton flashes potential 2025 third-round pick Nic Scourton shined, eating up space with quickness and impressive movement skills in the open field. There were times when he played out of control in his rushes, but he still brought consistent pressure off the edge. The rookie outside linebacker displays outstanding effort and pursuit ability, as evidenced by his chase-down sack of Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders. While there will be a learning curve for the soon-to-be 21-year-old, the explosiveness and power from Scourton already translates. Dan Morgan's latest undrafted gem Former Louisville cornerback Corey Thornton has been one of the standout rookies in Panthers training camp this summer. He's really forced himself into the forefront over the past week, filling in for starter Jaycee Horn both at Fan Fest and in this exhibition outing. Thornton has good size and length at 6-foot-1 and possesses the physical temperament that could be helpful in man-to-man looks. He is physical in coverage, especially press-man, though some false steps cost him at times. One of the highlights of the night came off an end-around by Cleveland in the second quarter—where Thornton accelerated downhill, came to balance, then picked up and threw the ball carrier to the ground. Quick hitters Jalen Coker is making a case to be the No. 2 target on this Panthers offense. His ball skills, football intelligence and route running flashed in a big way, including on a 5-yard touchdown reception. Inside linebackers Trevin Wallace and Christian Rozeboom will benefit from Carolina's upgrades on the defensive line. Wallace, for example, was able to collect a run stop in the first quarter when the interior front swallowed up double teams to help free the B-gap. With offensive coordinator Brad Idzik calling plays last night, the cadence, communication and play-call tendencies were drastically different. In short, it was a 'vanilla' approach Friday evening, which may partially explain the drop in play from the first-team to the second-team unit. The same can be said for Evero's defense, which was being called by defensive passing game coordinator Jonathan Cooley. Like the offense, the defense had different tendencies, cadences, calls and more. However, the similarities between both unites exemplified a physical brand of football for all four quarters, despite the blowout. Not the news that Demani Richardson fans were wanting to hear, but the second-year safety still has a lot of room for improvement. He took bad angles to the ball and was responsible for giving up a few big plays. He may be losing ground to 2025 fourth-round pick Lathan Ransom and veteran Nick Scott, one of the two current starters at the article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers film review: Rookies flash in preseason opener against Browns
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Report: Panthers have talked to representatives for free-agent S Justin Simmons
The Carolina Panthers seem to be in the market for some top-end secondary help. As first reported by team beat writer Sheena Quick on Monday afternoon, the Panthers have talked to the representatives of free-agent safety Justin Simmons. Quick, however, also noted that "nothing is imminent" between the two sides. Advertisement Quick's reporting backs that of ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, who recently stated that the Panthers have interest in the two-time Pro Bowler. "Simmons is interesting, because I think coming out of Atlanta, I do think he's looking for that big scheme," Fowler said on this past Thursday's episode of Kincade & Salciunas. "That's why the Eagles are on the shortlist there. It's Philadelphia, it's Carolina—has interest in Simmons. Ejiro Evero came from the Vic Fangio school. So that's where I think you should look for Simmons." Simmons, who spent eight of his nine NFL campaigns with the Denver Broncos, played under Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero in 2022. That season saw Simmons post a league-leading six interceptions along with a career-high three forced fumbles. He suited up for the Atlanta Falcons in 2024, where he notched 62 combined tackles and two interceptions over 16 starts. Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content. This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers reportedly talked to reps of free-agent S Justin Simmons
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Panthers reporter hints at team's next possible addition
The Carolina Panthers might not be done with the reconstruction of their defense. Darin Gantt of covered the team's recent defensive overhaul in this week's "Ask The Old Guy," his regular mailbag series. And when asked about possible additions to the secondary, Gantt throws out a few interesting names and thoughts: If they're going to be out shopping for more help, the good news is there are multiple qualified guys at the spot they're thinnest at (safety). Guys including Julian Blackmon (who visited in March), known commodity Justin Simmons (who was an All-Pro in Denver for Ejiro Evero), and several more are still sitting there on the market. They spent the spring looking at young options there, but could stand to be more experienced and deeper. Advertisement As Gantt notes, Blackmon met with the Panthers earlier this offseason. The 26-year-old has spent each of his five NFL campaigns as a member of the Indianapolis Colts, amassing 300 combined tackles and 10 interceptions since 2020. Carolina, according to multiple reports, has also expressed in Simmons—who spent the 2022 season under Evero. That year saw the two-time Pro Bowler and four-time second-team All-Pro notch a league-leading six interceptions along with a career-high three forced fumbles. The team's safety room currently features free-agent signee Tre'von Moehrig, 2025 fourth-round pick Lathan Ransom, Demani Richardson, Nick Scott and a trio of undrafted rookies (Isaac Gifford, Jack Henderson and Trevian Thomas). Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content. This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers reporter hints at team's next possible addition
