There were no shortage of disappointments on offense for the Panthers last season and running back Miles Sanders was on the list.
Sanders signed with the team as a free agent last March and the hope was that he’d bring the kind of production that resulted in 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground for the Eagles in 2022. Sanders only managed 432 yards and one score for the Panthers, however, and the way things played out “left a real bad taste in my mouth.”
Removing that bad taste is Sanders’ motivation because he says he’s heading into this year with “something to prove.”
“I don’t think nobody did me wrong,” Sanders said, via the team’s website. “I just didn’t like how last year went. That’s all. I’m not blaming nobody but myself. I’m just ready to play. I’m ready to have a better season.”
Chuba Hubbard is back after leading the team in rushing yards last season and the Panthers will be getting second-round pick Jonathon Brooks in the mix at some point, so Sanders will have to prove himself if he’s going to see a lot of the field in 2024.
With their numbers at the position low, the Panthers have added another tight end.
Carolina announced on Monday that the club signed Jesper Horsted.
Horsted, 27, initially entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Princeton in 2019 with the Bears. He appeared in 13 games for the franchise from 2019-2021 before spending the last two seasons with the Raiders.
Horsted played a combined 28 games for Las Vegas in 2022 and 2023, mainly playing special teams.
He has 14 career receptions for 131 yards with three touchdowns. While he spent some time with the Saints this summer, New Orleans released him late last week.
Carolina is dealing with several injuries at tight end. The team also signed Jacob Hollister on Sunday.
In a corresponding move to add Horsted, Carolina has waived receiver Tayvion Robinson.
The Panthers have received some more positive news on rookie receiver Xavier Legette.
In his Monday press conference, head coach Dave Canales told reporters that Legette is considered day-to-day with his foot injury.
“The MRI revealed no fractures in the foot, which is fantastic news for us, really, to just find that out,” Canales said. “So, we’re day-to-day with him. I would not expect him to play in this preseason game, just on the side of caution.”
The No. 32 overall pick of this year’s draft, Legette exited Sunday’s practice early with the foot issue.
“It wasn’t any play in particular. It was just kind of heating up on him,” Canales said. “So, at that point, we just try to get ahead of it. And I think we did a good job of our training staff identifying that and making sure we took the necessary precautions to make sure he’s out there.”
While Legette won’t play in this week’s preseason matchup with the Patriots, it sounds like Canales would like Legette to get some August game reps at some point.
“I would love for X to be out there, at some point just to play NFL football, but we have a good group of receivers that are fighting for these spots on our roster,” Canales said. “So, I just love that room getting those opportunities, being able to see different guys rotate in with the ones and all that.”
Carolina will host the Jets on Aug. 17 and travel to play the Bills on Aug. 24.
Quarterback Jake Luton is back with the Panthers.
The Panthers signed Luton on Monday because they needed a healthy quarterback with Andy Dalton dealing with a quad injury. They placed edge rusher Kemoko Turay on injured reserve in a corresponding move.
Luton spent time with the Panthers last summer and was on their practice squad 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.
The Panthers signed veteran tight end Jacob Hollister on Sunday, the team announced.
Hollister, 30, did not play last season. The Raiders placed him on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury before waiving him with an injury settlement.
Hollister played games for both the Vikings and Raiders in 2022.
He entered the NFL in 2017 as an undrafted rookie with the Patriots. He also has played for the Seahawks, Bills and Jaguars.
In his career, Hollister has 83 receptions for 707 yards and seven touchdowns.
Injuries have left the Panthers thin at tight end, with the team practicing with only three the past three practices. So, Hollister’s signing was much needed.
In a corresponding move, the Panthers waived/injured wide receiver Devin Carter.
