4 players the Carolina Panthers should consider claiming with their number one waiver priority

Matt Alquiza | Aug 28, 2024

Feb 27, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan speaks at a press conference during the NFL Scouting Combine at Indiana Convention Center. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

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Carolina Panthers

NFL cut down day has come and gone. The Carolina Panthers announced their initial 53 man roster for the 2024-25 season, and save for a few slight surprises, everything is pretty kosher. However, the roster on August 28th will be fairly different than the roster that travels to New Orleans on September 8th. The Panthers have the number one priority on the waiver wire, meaning they have first dibs on any player that was waived by an NFL franchise on Tuesday.

The Panthers website posted a great explanation of the cut-down day roster rules, diving deeper into the meaning of things like "released" vs. "waived. For this exercise the defenition of "waived" is important. Here's how the Panthers' site defined it: "Players with fewer than four years of service in the league are subject to waivers, meaning teams have the chance to claim their existing contracts. Players with four years of service or more immediately become free agents and can sign with any team."

So, let's take a quick look at a few players currently in the purgatory known as waivers that the Panthers should take a look at before tomorrow at 1 o'clock.

Andre Carter II - Outside Linebacker - Formerly with Minnesota

Aug 10, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle Jake Curhan (74) blocks Minnesota Vikings linebacker Andre Carter II (55) during the first half at Lumen Field. / Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

The Panthers' biggest roster need still lies on the edge. The team placed free agent signing D.J. Wonnum on the PUP list this afternoon, meaning he'll miss the first four games of the season. Wonnum was slated to start opposite of Jadeveon Clowney when both were signed this offseason, but lingering effects of a quad injury have sidelined Wonnum for the entirety of the preseason. DJ Johnson, K'Laivon Chaisson, and Eku Leota are a few names still fighting for snaps at outside linebacker, and a player like Carter would be a nice addition to that fray.

Carter was signed by the Vikings as an undrafted free agent following the 2023 NFL Draft. He was once touted as a potential first round pick following his outrageous junior season at Army. The former Black Knight racked up 16.5 tackles and four forced fumbles as a junior, bursting onto the radar of NFL scouts as he wreaked havoc on opposing quarterbacks. A disappointing (by comparison) senior season combined with questions about his frame (He stands at 6'7", weighing 256 pounds) and effectiveness in the run game dropped him down draft boards.

For a Carolina Panthers squad in need of pure pass rushing talent, Carter would be an interesting roll of the dice. He turned heads in the Vikings preseason with a multi-sack performance that left many thinking he had earned his way onto the Vikings 53. Alas, he did not, and he'll be up for grabs for any teams interested in his service.

Caleb Farley - Cornerback - Formerly with Tennessee

Tennessee Titans cornerback Caleb Farley (3) pulls in a catch during practice at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park Friday, Sept. 16, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. / George Walker IV / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

If juice in the pass rush is the Carolina Panthers' greatest need, capable play in the secondary is a close second. Farley, a North Carolina native, boasts enticing draft capital and raw traits that are worth gambling on this time of year.

A former first-round pick out of Virgina Tech, Farley possesses elite measurables for the cornerback position. However, his measurables failed to turn into impactful NFL snaps due to a rash of injuries that have stymied a one promising career. A pre-draft back injury and a torn ACL in his rookie season have doomed Farley to playing mostly on special teams in Tennessee.

The Panthers are in a position with the number one waiver priority to take a bunch of swings on flawed but talented roster cuts, and Farley fits the mold. If he's able to reach even a modicum of his once promised pre-draft projections, Farley would be an absolute coup on the eve of the regular season. The Panthers can ill afford to be picky when it comes to help in the cornerback room, and in my opinion, Farley's talent is too rich to pass on.

Kelvin Joseph - Cornerback - Formerly with Kansas City

Dec 24, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Kelvin Joseph (28) warms up before the game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. / Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

I could copy and paste everything about the Panthers need at defensive back from the previous section to here.

Joseph was a former second-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys that seemed to be turning a corner this offseason. He bounced around a few squads in 2023 after playing in 16 games for Dallas the year before. Joseph was seen playing reps in Kansas City with the starting unit this summer, seemingly locking down his long-term NFL future. Folks around the Chiefs franchise were shocked to see them release Joseph on cut-down day.

They say one man's trash is another mans treasure, and Joseph could be a gem on the waiver wire. Any and all competition is needed in the Panthers' cornerback room, and Joseph could come in right away and push Michael Jackson in the race to start opposite of Jaycee Horn in week one.

E.J. Jenkins - Tight End - Formerly with Philadelphia

Like Joseph, Jenkins was a bit of a surprise cut. The undrafted tight end out of Georgia Tech flashed impressive hands this preseason hauling in nine receptions for a 66 yards across three contests. When the Panthers took the field for today's practice Tommy Tremble was in shorts and Ian Thomas was nowhere to be found. The Panthers surprisingly cut veteran Jordan Matthews this afternoon, leaving Tremble, Thomas, and rookie Ja'Tavion Sanders as the three tight ends on the active roster. Look for Carolina to add to their tight end room over the next few days, whether it's E.J. Jenkins or somebody else.