The Seahawks have told cornerback Michael Jackson to beat it, sending him to Carolina in a trade for linebacker Michael Barrett.
The player-for-player swap gives both teams a chance to get a look at a player they have interest in before deciding whether to keep him on the 53-player roster beyond Tuesday’s cutdowns. Jackson wasn’t going to make the Seahawks and Barrett wasn’t going to make the Panthers anyway, so it’s a no-risk proposition for both teams.
The 27-year-old Jackson was a fifth-round pick of the Cowboys in 2019 and also spent time with the Lions and Patriots before signing with the Seahawks in 2021. Last year he played in all 17 games, getting on the field for 40 percent of the Seahawks’ defensive snaps and 51 percent of special teams snaps.
The Panthers drafted Barrett out of Michigan in the seventh round this year. He’s 24 years old, having spent six years playing for now-Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. He’s notable for having played in 61 games won by Michigan, the most of anyone in program history.
The Panthers didn’t play quarterback Bryce Young in their first two preseason games, but they plan to have him on the field against the Bills on Saturday.
Head coach Dave Canales told reporters on Thursday that the team plans to play Young and the rest of their starters in their final preseason game. Teams often go the other way with the players they know will be on the team in the fall, but Canales said that the schedule for Saturday will provide valuable preparation for the regular season.
“My hope is to get the starters out there early in the game, get them some exposure,” Canales said, via the team website. “The importance of it to me is how valuable the night before prep is. Waking up in the morning, we have a 1 o’clock kick, we got a lot of those this year. So just the body readiness. This is a great opportunity to go through their pregame routines with each other, to have the communications on the sidelines as we go into the first drive there and just gather information. Talk, ‘this is how it’ll feel like.’ So, I love this opportunity for the guys and they’re excited about it.”
Canales didn’t specify how much work Young and other first-teamers will get against Buffalo and he said the team also has to decide if Andy Dalton will make his first appearance of the preseason. The backup quarterback has missed time this summer with a quad injury.
Saints running back Alvin Kamara returned to practice Tuesday, according to multiple reports.
Kamara had not practiced in more than a week because of back tightness, which coach Dennis Allen said Aug. 13 wasn’t a big deal.
Kamara’s prolonged absence had prompted reporters to question Allen about whether Kamara was conducting an old-fashioned hold-in. Allen denied it had anything to do with Kamara’s desire for a contract extension, and now the five-time Pro Bowler is back on the field.
Kamara skipped the final practice of the mandatory minicamp in June as a way of showing his displeasure over his contract situation. But he had been a regular participant at training camp before his injury.
He has two years remaining on his contract, with his 2024 salary cap hit of $18.5 million the highest on the team. He has no guaranteed money for 2025 and a $29 million cap hit.
The Saints open the season Sept. 8 against the Panthers.
The Panthers announced a number of transactions Monday that included placing veteran cornerback Anthony Brown and quarterback Jake Luton on injured reserve. The players will end the season on injured reserve unless the Panthers release them with an injury settlement.
Luton, whose injury is undisclosed, signed Aug. 5 with Andy Dalton out with an injury. He spent time with the Panthers last summer and was on their practice squad in 2023 until he was signed by the Saints in late September. He returned to the practice squad in Carolina after being released by the Saints in October.
His only regular season appearances came in three starts for the Jaguars during the 2020 season. Luton completed 54.5 percent of his passes while throwing two touchdowns and six interceptions in three Jacksonville losses.
Brown, who injured his thumb in the second preseason game, signed with the Panthers on Aug. 3. He spent seven seasons with the Cowboys after they drafted him in the sixth round in 2016 before playing two games with the 49ers last season.
The Panthers also announced they waived wide receiver Tayvion Robinson with an injury designation and waived running back Dillon Johnson.
The team signed cornerbacks Chris Wilcox and Quandre Mosely after a workout on Monday.
Starting cornerback Dane Jackson will miss around six weeks with a hamstring injury, coach Dave Canales said.
Wilcox, 26, is a former seventh-round pick of the Buccaneers out of BYU. He’s also spent time with the Colts, Cardinals, Steelers and Chargers.
Mosely, 25, played at Eastern Arizona and Kentucky and has spent time with the Cowboys, Seahawks, Buccaneers and Patriots.
The Panthers also re-signed cornerback Willie Drew, wide receiver Sam Pinckney and running back Jaden Shirden, all of whom were in camp with the team earlier this summer.
The Bills have changed their plans for their preseason finale against the Panthers this week.
Head coach Sean McDermott told reporters in his Monday video conference that Buffalo will not play its starters.
“Right so initially the plan was to play the ones this week. Because of the injuries and lack of availability, we’re going to take the ones out, play the other guys, take a good look at them,” McDermott said. “It should be a good opportunity for them to put their best foot forward and for us to have a strong evaluation of that part of the roster.”
The Bills have several injuries at key positions, including safety, receiver, and backup quarterback in Mitchell Trubisky.
Quarterback Josh Allen will end the preseason with two completions on three passing attempts for 22 yards, plus one 7-yard rush.
Allen was on the field for eight snaps in the preseason opener against Chicago and didn’t play over the weekend against Pittsburgh.
The Bills will host the Panthers for the final preseason matchup on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. ET.
