Croskey-Merritt (groin) limited again on Thursday

Winfield has missed the last three games due to fractured ribs he suffered in Week 4. Winfield has earned a 76.8 defensive grade per PFF this season while racking up 24 tackles. The Panthers’ secondary held up fairly well during his three-game absence, allowing only 235.0 passing yards per game, but his return will be a welcomed one for Bowles and his defense.

Bowles said Egbuka did clear concussion protocol, but the foot injury he has been dealing with for the last two weeks will officially sideline him for this week’s game against the Falcons. Hopefully this isn’t any kind of a major setback for Egbuka, who shed his non-contact jersey in Thursday’s practice and was limited in the first two practices to start the week. Ted Hurst will again operate as the Buccaneers’ primary outside target but shouldn’t be trusted as anything more than a risky WR4.

After being a DNP in each of the Eagles’ first two practices of the week, it’s far too early to be confident that Barkley will suit up on Sunday night against the Commanders. That said, his return to the field is still an encouraging sign for the Eagles, whose backfield is suddenly among the most banged up in the league. We will check back in when the Eagles announce Barkley’s Week 8 status, but it wouldn’t be surprising if this ends up being a game-time decision, which could prove frustrating for fantasy managers. We should know more on his availability in the next few hours.

Brown has now missed back-to-back practices and is at serious risk of missing Week 8’s game against the Dolphins. Brown’s knee injury was reported as a “flare-up” from a previous knee injury, which is never a good sign for a player. Brown has been dealing with injuries like this for a few years but has always found a way to play through them. While it’s possible he ends up doing so again this week, fantasy managers should begin considering other options in the event he is held out.

Tate was a DNP all week and is at risk of missing Week 8’s game against the Bengals. The team will announce his official status shortly, but if he is unable to go, Wan’Dale Robinson and Elic Ayomanor would be the early favorites to see an uptick in targets against a Bengals secondary that ranks 18th in points allowed to opposing receivers this season.

After being limited in back-to-back practices to start the week, and shedding his non-contact jersey on Thursday, Egbuka being a DNP on Friday is a notable setback. Buccaneers beat writer Greg Auman speculated that Egbuka will “be ruled out again” for Week 8’s game against the Falcons, but we’ll wait for official word from the team before drawing conclusions. That said, the Bucs could again have Ted Hurst operating as their primary outside threat.

Mayfield wore the protective glove during last week’s game to avoid further damage to the thumb he injured in Week 3. Mayfield attempted only 11 passes in his return against the Panthers last week, but that was all he needed in a game where the Buccaneers totaled over 250 yards on the ground. Hopefully the shedding of his protective glove is a sign that he’s no longer at risk of re-injury heading into Week 8’s game against the Falcons.

Wash will take over for the now-departed Ejiro Evero, who was dismissed shortly after the Panthers’ Week 8 loss to the Packers. Wash, who has been with the Panthers since 2023, spent five seasons as the Jaguars’ defensive coordinator (2016 to 2020), with his defense finishing top five in both yards and points allowed in 2017 and 2018. Wash’s first task will be finding ways to improve a run defense that ranks among the worst in the league through the first half of the season, but given that his fingerprints are all over the defensive line, it’s hard to imagine a noticeable improvement is on the way over the final 10 weeks of the season.

This will be the third straight limited practice for Hall, which is an encouraging sign as he looks to return to action since last playing in Week 3 against the Lions. If he’s active, Hall will likely find himself in a bit more of a timeshare with Braelon Allen, who has rushed for 357 yards and a touchdown on 72 carries in Hall’s absence while averaging a solid 5.0 YPC. We will provide an update on Hall’s Week 8 availability when the team announces it, but at worst, we would expect him to carry a questionable tag entering the weekend.

Just hours after a 27-19 loss to the Packers that saw the Panthers fall below .500 for the first time this season, the team has decided to part ways with Evero after nearly four full seasons with the team. Evero was a holdover from Frank Reich’s 2023 staff and drew a handful of head coaching interviews during the last hiring cycle after his defense finished 15th in points allowed and 16th in yards allowed. The Panthers’ best defensive performances of the season came in games where Cooper Rush and Tanner McKee made starts, but they’ve allowed 35.2 points per game when facing opposing teams’ QB1s this season. From 2022 to 2023, Evero’s defenses ranked seventh and fourth in yards allowed per game, but his units have struggled in more recent seasons. They have particularly struggled on the ground and rank near the bottom of the league in rushing yards allowed and YPC allowed, while allowing a league-high 12 rushing touchdowns. He’ll likely get another job in a coaching role next offseason, in hopes of earning another coordinator job over the next few seasons.