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Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
What Jadeveon Clowney's release means for the Panthers
On Thursday afternoon, the Carolina Panthers parted ways with eight players—most notably outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney. The move shouldn't have come as much of a surprise—because the writing was not only on the wall, it was all over it. Between the noncommittal statement about his future from general manager Dan Morgan and the report that revealed the front office's interest in trading the 32-year-old defender, Clowney clearly wasn't sticking around much longer. Advertisement His release, however, is still a puzzling one for many Panthers fans. He was still a solid player in 2024. His 5.5 sacks were tied for the team lead, and we know that this defense needs as many sacks as they can get. Plus, wouldn't his experience alone be valuable to a growing roster? There must be something a former No. 1 overall pick and a three-time Pro Bowler could teach the youngsters, right? Well, yeah. But the Panthers probably didn't make this decision carelessly. We just have to connect the dots to make sense of it all. Here are the biggest takeaways from Clowney's depature . . . The new starter With Clowney gone, the Panthers are now likely to turn one of their starting outside linebacker jobs to Pat Jones II. Advertisement Jones, one of Carolina's early free-agent additions, was signed to a two-year, $15 million pact in March. He's coming off a career campaign—where he notched bests in combined tackles (39) and sacks (7.0) for the Minnesota Vikings. The 6-foot-5, 264-pounder is actually quite comparable to Clowney in stature and in play style. Along with the pass-rushing ability, Jones is an above-average run defender and has the chops to set the edge. At 26 years old, Jones is viewed by the organization as an ascending talent—hence their investment. He'll be given a chance to establish himself alongside fellow ex-Viking D.J. Wonnum, who was pretty disruptive in his shortened 2024 season. The future The Panthers made a bit of a splash on Day 2 of the 2025 draft, trading up (twice) for a pair of a potent pass rushers. Advertisement First, in the second round, came Texas A&M's Nic Scourton—who posted a Big Ten-leading 10.0 sacks for Purdue in 2023. Then, in the third round, came Mississippi's Princely Umanmielen—who tallied 10.5 sacks in 2024. Both, given their production and their measurables, have high ceilings. In fact, Scourton and Umanmielen were even considered as first-round prospects by some draft experts. Both are also (obviously) young, and they need the room to grow. Taking Clowney out of the equation might've left them without a perfect mentor, but it did free up more on-field opportunities in 2025. Finding Scourton and Umanmielen chances will be up to defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who hasn't been the quickest to turn to his rookie players. Now, he may not have much of a choice as the Panthers continue to embrace their youth movement. The possibilities Along with snaps, the Clowney release also freed up approximately $7.7 million in salary cap space. That amount will be enough to cover the team's 2025 draft class and, potentially, another key free-agent signing. Advertisement So, could the Panthers finally ink that starting free safety fans have been clamoring for? Are the likes of Julian Blackmon, Marcus Williams or, perhaps, Justin Simmons back in play? We'll see . . . Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content. This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers release OLB Jadeveon Clowney: Biggest takeaways from the move
USA Today
10-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Panthers OLB Nic Scourton says his 'Purdue weight' is a myth
Panthers OLB Nic Scourton says his 'Purdue weight' is a myth Carolina Panthers outside linebacker Nic Scourton believes he's currently in the best shape of his entire football career. Scourton, the team's 2025 second-round selection, spoke with reporters following the final practice of rookie minicamp on Saturday. Beat reporter Sheena Quick would ask the 20-year-old about the chatter around getting back to his "Purdue weight" in the lead-up to the draft. But Scourton says that label actually isn't a thing, at least in his view. "I don't know what this narrative is about me being 'Purdue weight," he replied with a laugh. "But I think Panthers fans should be excited for me because I'm the most fit I've ever been, I'm healthy, I'm strong and I'm excited to get to work." After playing the first two seasons of his collegiate career at Purdue University, Scourton transferred to Texas A&M for the 2024 campaign—where he appeared noticeably larger. The Aggies, in fact, listed Scourton as heavy as 285 pounds this past year. Then, when it came time to measure up at the 2025 scouting combine, Scourton hit the scale at 257 pounds. The number from Purdue that may matter most for Scourton, however, is 10.0—the total of sacks he amassed in 2023. That Big Ten-leading tally—due to a change in defensive scheme, according to Scourton—dipped to 5.0 in 2024. So as long as he's racking up the takedowns, the weight, whether it be "Purdue weight," "Texas A&M weight," or "Panthers weight," should be just fine. Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
USA Today
26-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
After becoming a Panther, Nic Scourton hilariously disposes of other 31 teams' draft hats
After becoming a Panther, Nic Scourton hilariously disposes of other 31 teams' draft hats Nic Scourton will only be needing one hat from now on. On Friday night, the Carolina Panthers traded up in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft to grab Scourton at the 51st overall spot. And after learning he'd be headed to Carolina, the Texas A&M pass rusher pulled out his swipe move to dispose of some unnecessary headwear . . . That swift handwork isn't the only trait the talented 20-year-old will be carrying over with him to the Panthers. "What I see is bringing in a nasty demeanor, a guy with a chip on his shoulder," Scourton told reporters after he was picked. "And a natural-born leader, and a guy who loves football. I'm coming in to compete for a spot, compete to win a championship. I'm not coming just to say I made it to the NFL. But I think I can add a lot to the defense by just being myself and coming in and working hard." Scourton recorded a Big Ten-leading 10.0 sacks while a member of the Purdue Boilermakers in 2023. He then transferred to Texas A&M for 2024, where he'd be named a first-team All-SEC selection. Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content
