Henry

Anderson

Panthers head coach Frank Reich said back in April that he didn’t expect Corbett to be ready for Week 1, so this news doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Corbett suffered a torn ACL in the Panthers’ 2022 season finale and will now miss at least the first four games of this season. We’d expect him to be back at some point later in the year. The team also placed DE Henry Anderson on season-ending injured reserve.

The eight-year veteran played 11 games for the Panthers in 2022 while dealing with a minor stroke that occurred during Week 5. Anderson has filled depth roles at defensive end for the Patriots and Panthers over the previous two seasons and should continue in that role on his new one-year deal in Carolina.

Anderson has been out since Week 6 because of the medical condition. He was placed on the reserve/NFI list but the team did not disclose the specifics of his absence. Luckily for Anderson, the stroke was considered minor. After extensive testing, he has been medically cleared to return. The Panthers have since designated him to return from the NFI list.

Anderson took a pay cut to stay with the Patriots, dropping his base salary from $2.5 million to the veteran minimum ($1.25M). The 30-year-old was limited to 35 snaps in 2021 after landing on IR in Week 4 but is expected to have a normal offseason.

Anderson signed a two-year deal with the pats this offseason and was being used on a mix of defense and special teams. He ends his first year in New England with three tackles on 35 defensive snaps. Henry will turn 31 before the start of the 2022 season.

Anderson, who is only two years removed from recording a career-high seven sacks in his first season with the Jets, suffered the same fate as the rest of the team in underwhelming throughout Gregg Williams’ and Adam Gase’s tenures. It’s a(nother) terrific buy-low addition on defense for the Patriots as Anderson, 30 in August, will line up next to Davon Godchaux as a bulldozing run-stuffer. Bill Belichick isn’t going to recognize his team when they first report to camp.

The move clears $8.2 million in cap space for the Jets who already had the second most money to spend in the NFL. Anderson had an 8.0-sack season in his first year with the Jets (2018) but has had two-straight down years, combining for just three sacks and 10 quarterback hits over that stretch. The 29-year-old projects as a depth option, specifically as a 3-4 defensive end, while heading out of the prime of his career. Anderson was the Colts’ third-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.

Anderson had been expected to suit up for the first time since Week 5, but he needs another week to get healthy.

Anderson’s run defense has been up to par this season but his four tackles and empty sack count aren’t close to the type of production he logged in his breakout 2018 campaign. Even so, the Jets can’t afford to lose his presence in the middle of their trenches for any amount of time. He’s currently considered ‘week to week’, though it sounds like it will be more of a touch-and-go pain tolerance issue than an ailment that actually sidelines him for an extended period.

Anderson had a breakout year for the Jets last season, recording a career-high seven sacks after injury-riddled seasons in Indianapolis from 2015-2017. The Jets desperately need some pass-rushing help off the edge, but bringing back Anderson on the interior should help Gang Green push the pocket from there with Leonard Williams. Anderson has overcame a lot in recent years.