The Carolina Panthers lost two players on the waiver wire, including former 2024 draft pick Trevin Wallace , but who they didn't lose could be even more important.
The Carolina Panthers trimmed the roster down to 53 players
on Sunday, a process that involved some questionable decisions by general manager Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales. And one of those moves already backfired.
Among the roster moves made by Carolina on Sunday to build the initial 53-man roster, Panthers waived former third-round pick Trevin Wallace, who started 20 games for the Panthers over the last two seasons at linebacker.
Wallace spent all of camp in a head-to-head battle for the starting linebacker role against Claudin Cherelus
, who made the final cut. On top of that, the Panthers will also soon officially sign veteran linebacker Bobby Okereke
. There was a thought that maybe Wallace could be a player the Panthers brought back on the practice squad, not anymore.
On Monday, the New York Jets claimed Wallace off the waiver wire, adding a starting-caliber player to the second level of Aaron Glenn's defense. If the Panthers had any intention of bringing Wallace back, that plan certainly blew up in their face.
I get the reasoning behind waiving Wallace. He didn't do enough to earn the starting spot (hence the Okereke signing) and doesn't bring as much value on special teams as Cherelus. But, he was still a decent enough player and will now take his talents to another team in the AFC.
"The only person that can stop Trevin is himself," Wallace said earlier this offseason. "At the end of the day, that's how I look at it. The person that can stop you is the person you look (at) in the mirror. Sometimes you need to get knocked back to the bottom to figure out how to get way back to the top."
In the meantime, the Panthers linebacker room (once Okereke is signed) will consist of Lloyd, Okereke, Cherelus, and rookie Jackson Kuwatch. We'll see which linebacker(s) the team decides to bring in on the practice squad after losing Wallace.
Another more puzzling cut the Panthers made on Sunday was waiving wide receiver Ja'seem Reed, who had a strong camp and solid preseason. It seemed like he was a roster lock for weeks and this is even what Morgan said about him during the second preseason game .
"He just catches everything," Morgan said. "Out there in practice, if that ball is near him, he's catching it. Obviously, he's a guy that's really helped himself out in terms of making the 53. And I think, so far, so good with him. I'm excited about his future."
Good news for Carolina, Reed was not claimed by another team and now is a strong candidate to return on the practice squad where he can continue developing and be a potential elevation player when his number is called.
The Panthers did get into the waiver wire action, claiming center Corey Bullock after being waived by the Baltimore Ravens , a surprise addition. Carolina already has two centers on the 53-man roster in veteran Luke Fortner and rookie Sam Hecht.
However, Bullock also has the ability to play guard and even tackle if need be. That gives Canales another versatile chess piece on the offensive line, and we'll see if his addition kicks out any of the reserve linemen who made the initial roster.
One more note while we're on the subject, center Nick Samac was claimed as well off waivers by the Minnesota Vikings .
This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Panthers' gamble on a former 2024 pick backfires but Carolina did get good news on the waiver wire with a preseason standout
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