News: The Carolina Panthers made their first round of cuts Monday and waived the following players: kicker Olindo Mare; wide receivers Darvin Adams, Michael Avila, Brenton Bersin and Rico Wallace; running backs Lyndon Rowells and Josh Vaughan; defensive lineman Eric Norwood and tight end Greg Smith.
Analysis: Aside from Mare, none of these players were expected to make a Fantasy impact this season and should be left off all rosters at this point.
News: The Panthers have signed fourth-round pick Eric Norwood, whom Carolina expects be a pass-rushing specialist. Norwood is South Carolina's career leader with 29 sacks. Coach John Fox has said he'll use Norwood at linebacker in passing situations and on special teams.
Analysis: Norwood should be a candidate for a good amount of sacks this season but little else. He's only worth a late-round pick in deep seasonal IDP leagues, but he's better suited for a late choice in dynasty/keeper leagues and a mid-round pick in rookie-only drafts.
News: Panthers head coach John Fox described rookie fourth-round draft pick Eric Norwood as a "designated pass rusher." Norwood had been working primarily at SLB, but the Panthers will also use him at defensive end because of his ability to get to the quarterback. "He's relentless to the ball and has a good first step in his pass rush," Fox said.
Analysis: Norwood has been making some big plays in offseason minicamps and has a chance to land regular playing time for the Panthers. Draft him with a late-round flier this summer, and he's definitely more of a safe late choice in dynasty/keeper leagues and a mid-round pick in rookie-only drafts.
News:The Sports Xchange suggests that you look for Panthers rookie Eric Norwood, the team's fourth-round draft pick out of South Carolina, to push Dan Connor for the team's starting strong-side linebacker spot. Norwood looked that good during minicamp. Norwood was known for his down-hill style of tackling in college.
Analysis: The Panthers can use that kind of linebacker on the outside, and it might just be a matter of time before he sees regular playing time. Draft him with a late-round flier if you'd like in drafts this summer, but he's definitely more of a safe late choice in dynasty/keeper leagues and a mid-round pick in rookie-only drafts.
News: The Panthers added several defenders to pad their depth via the NFL draft. They are: LB Eric Norwood (fourth round; South Carolina), DE Greg Hardy (sixth round; Ole Miss), safety Jordan Pugh (sixth round; Texas A&M), CB R.J. Stanford (seventh round; Utah) and CB Robert McClain (seventh round; UConn).
Analysis: Norwood is known as a no-nonsense downhill tackler; Hardy was considered a Julius Peppers clone until injuries robbed him of part of his senior year; Pugh is a safety/cornerback hybrid who needs work on his technique but has speed; Stanford has potential to be a nickelback eventually but needs to improve his overall skills; McClain is a good tackling corner but is considered a project. None of these players are expected to find regular playing time this season but there's some upside in several of these guys, especially Norwood and Hardy. That duo is worth a look late in rookie-only drafts, the rest can be ignored.
