The Carolina Panthers trimmed their roster by almost 40 players yesterday – today, after the NFL’s waiver process was complete, they brought ten of those players back by filling their practice squad with familiar faces, almost all of whom spent the entire preseason with the team.
Lineman Dorian Johnson, who can play both guard and tackle, QB Kyle Allen, RB Reggie Bonnafon, TE Jason Vander Laan and G Taylor Hearn and WR Mose Frazier, who led the NFL in preseason touchdowns with three scores over four weeks, were the offensive players added; the team tapped S Dezmen Southward, who spent most of 2017 on the practice squad, and seventh-round pick DT Kendrick Norton in addition to ECU DE Kiante Anderson and CB Cole Luke on the defensive side of the ball.
While other teams are allowed to sign practice squad players at any time, the Panthers were able to stash talent last season, as Efe Obada, Bryan Cox, Jr and Alex Armah, all of whom made the 2018 roster, spent time last season on the practice squad.
Of the players cut by the Panthers yesterday, Blaine Clausell was claimed by the Cardinals, while 2017 third-round pick Daeshon Hall went unclaimed; 2017 undrafted free agent Cox, Jr and International Pathways Program participant Obada were both competing with Hall for the final defensive end spot and both made the roster yesterday.
