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The Carolina Panthers have absolutely made a concerted effort to address their defense this offseason, making some significant moves in free agency and also dedicating a good chunk of the NFL draft to rectifying the issue.
Remember: the Panthers had the worst defense in league history last season, so a major overhaul was definitely needed on that side of the ball.
That being said, there is still one area in which Carolina did not make any additions: cornerback. Yes, the Panthers did extend Jaycee Horn, and they did re-sign Mike Jackson, but they didn't bring anyone new into the fold, and that could pose a problem.
However, Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox has linked Carolina to the best cornerback remaining on the free-agent market, naming the Panthers one of the top two destinations for Asante Samuel Jr.
"While most cornerback-needy teams should have some level of interest in Samuel after the draft, those willing to take a chance to add long-term secondary help would make the most sense," Knox wrote. "Samuel should be favored by teams in the rebuilding process that didn't land a corner early over draft weekend."
Carolina certainly addressed the safety position this offseason, landing Tre'von Moehrig in free agency and then snatching Ohio State sleeper Lathan Ransom in the fourth round of the draft.
But given Horn's injury history and the Panthers' lack of depth at corner, they should absolutely consider bringing in Samuel, who is still just 25 years old and is oozing with potential.
Samuel spent the first four years of his NFL career with the Los Angeles Chargers. He played in just four games in 2024 due to a shoulder injury, but he was very productive throughout his first three professional campaigns.
More must-reads:
- Bengals' Zac Taylor explains shocking Joe Flacco move for Packers game
- Lions CB Terrion Arnold to return 'sooner than expected'
- The 'Most NFL QB two-rushing-TD games' quiz
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Officiating Crew For Steelers-Browns Game Gives 1 Team Clear Advantage
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been dominant against the Cleveland Browns under Head Coach Mike Tomlin. However, an AFC North contest coming off a bye week is never something Steelers fans overlook. With the Browns sitting at 1-4 and the Steelers at 3-1, a victory in this matchup is pivotal for Pittsburgh to start AFC North play on the right foot. The Steelers are looking to carry momentum from a strong start to the season, and continuing their winning ways against a divisional rival would set a positive tone for the months ahead. The Browns will be starting rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who will be making just his second-ever NFL start. The Steelers' defense will look to make life extremely difficult for the rookie on Sunday. One area that is always important in these matchups is the officiating crew. According to NFL Ref Stats, the Steelers appear to have a significant advantage in this contest against the Browns. Historically, Pittsburgh has fared well under certain officiating crews, particularly those with tendencies that favor defensive schemes and physical play at the line of scrimmage. This statistical edge may not guarantee a win, but it certainly provides a subtle advantage that could tip critical calls in Pittsburgh’s favor during a tightly contested game. Beyond the numbers, the Steelers will need to execute clean football on both sides of the ball. Protecting the quarterback, establishing the run, and maintaining discipline on defense will be key to neutralizing Cleveland’s biggest playmakers. While the Browns are struggling this season, divisional games often bring out unexpected performances, making preparation and focus essential. If Pittsburgh can combine their historical dominance, officiating edge, and disciplined execution, they have a strong chance to assert control early in AFC North play and keep their division hopes alive. Ron Torbert will serve as the officiating head for this contest, and the numbers clearly favor the Steelers. In games Torbert has officiated, Pittsburgh has gone an impressive 10-1, showing a consistent trend of success under his oversight. Even more striking, the Steelers are a perfect 8-0 at home in games where Torbert is the head referee, highlighting a significant home-field advantage when he is on the crew. Steelers Should Have Edge In Week 6 Against Browns Expect the officials to focus heavily on offensive penalties, as Torbert has a reputation for calling more infractions on the offense than the defense. According to NFL Ref Stats, he assesses 52.5% of all penalties against the offense, ranking fourth in the league for offensive penalties per game. This suggests that both teams will need to maintain discipline, but it could particularly benefit Pittsburgh, a team built around physical play and disciplined execution. For the Steelers, this officiating angle could be an advantage they can capitalize on, especially early in the game. By staying sharp and minimizing mistakes, Pittsburgh can force Cleveland into difficult situations while maintaining momentum. With Torbert on the field, the historical trends and penalty tendencies both point to a scenario where the Steelers have an extra edge in controlling the pace and flow of this crucial AFC North matchup. The Steelers sit as -200 favorites in this contest and it seems like a lot is on their side.
Bengals QB Jake Browning angry about being benched for Joe Flacco, but team had no choice
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning has officially been benched, and he is not taking it lightly. Browning has started the last three games for the Bengals in the wake of a toe injury that Joe Burrow suffered in Week 2. After going 0-3 in those games, the Bengals decided to acquire Joe Flacco in a trade with the Cleveland Browns on Tuesday. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor announced on Wednesday that Flacco will start in Week 6 against the Green Bay Packers. That means the new guy is taking Browning's job right away, which is hardly a surprise. Jake Browning is not happy about losing his job Browning spoke with reporters shortly after Taylor revealed that Flacco will start in Green Bay. The 29-year-old quarterback said the situation "sucks" but that he understands how the business of the NFL works. "I think it sucks but, like I said, everyone's in the middle of a season. I think, 'Welcome to pro football,'" Browning said. "If you don't play well, you're gonna get replaced, and that's what I'm going through." Browning also admitted he is angry over being benched. Though, he said he is not willing to shoulder the blame for everything that has gone wrong for Cincinnati since Burrow went down. "For me, I'm trying to respond the right way. Obviously, I'm pi--ed. If I wasn't pi--ed, then I shouldn't be in this locker room," Browning added. "I'm aware of the role I played in the offensive struggles over the last few weeks, but I'm also not shouldering the entire situation. I went through yesterday, watched my throws, tried to come up with some stuff I want to work on, and just doing that." Zac Taylor had no choice but to make a switch Browning threw three interceptions in Cincinnati's 37-24 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday. He completed 26 of 40 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns as well, but anything positive that the veteran did came when the game was essentially out of hand. In his two starts prior to the Lions loss, Browning threw for a total of 265 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. The Bengals scored 13 points in the two games combined. Ja'Marr Chase looked extremely frustrated at times and even had a heated exchange with Taylor on the sideline. Taylor had been facing tremendous pressure from fans to make a quarterback change. It would not be a surprise if Cincinnati's front office and some players expressed a desire for Browning to be benched, as well.
Bengals' Zac Taylor explains shocking Joe Flacco move for Packers game
Roughly 24 hours after outsiders learned that the Cincinnati Bengals were acquiring veteran quarterback Joe Flacco from the Cleveland Browns, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor confirmed that Flacco will start over Jake Browning when 2-3 Cincinnati plays at the Green Bay Packers (2-1-1) this coming Sunday. While speaking with media members, Taylor explained that somewhat surprising decision. Why Zac Taylor believes he can get Joe Flacco "up to speed quickly" "He's already spent a lot of time meeting with us, getting up to speed, so I feel really good about where he's at," Taylor said about Flacco, per Dave Clark of the Cincinnati Enquirer. "You just know him. ...Very comfortable with his style, concepts he's good at, things that we do. All of the terminology, there's a carryover, more so than I would have anticipated. So I feel like we can get him up to speed quickly." Flacco lost three of four September starts with the Browns before the Super Bowl XLVII Most Valuable Player was benched in favor of rookie Dillon Gabriel. According to Pro Football Reference stats, Flacco began Wednesday ranked last in the NFL among qualified players with a 60.3 passer rating for the ongoing season. Additionally, he's 28th out of 32 signal-callers with a 36.7 adjusted QBR. That said, Flacco is a 40-year-old who has seen every defensive concept an opposing coordinator could and will throw his way. Back on Sept. 21, he helped the Browns earn a 13-10 win over the Packers in downtown Cleveland. Zac Taylor likes that Joe Flacco faced this Packers defense in September "It's different than a young quarterback coming in, trying to learn the system and understand what a defense is trying to do to try to challenge you," Taylor added about his decision to start Flacco versus the Packers. "Not only that, but he's played Green Bay this year, so he's already gone through a week of prep. ...Now the communication and the weekly rhythm is maybe different and unique, but he's already prepared for this opponent. So he gets a chance to refresh himself on that, while at the same time just learning our system and our terminology...and how we operate." Shortly after Taylor made his comments, ESPN BET had the Bengals listed as massive 14.5-point underdogs against Green Bay. Perhaps that line and the fact that he was discarded by Cleveland will give Flacco some extra motivation heading into the showdown that will take place at Lambeau Field.
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Hall Of Famer Had Fix For WWE, Bret Hart, And the Montreal Screwjob
1) Nash: Bret Hart is often misunderstood—he treated wrestling like a serious, family business. 2) His refusal to drop the WWF title in Canada helped trigger the Montreal Screwjob. 3) Nash floated a $2M penalty clause to ensure Bret honored a stateside title loss and avoid disaster. On the latest episode of the Kliq This podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash offered his perspective on Bret “The Hitman” Hart, discussing why he believes Hart is often misunderstood and brought up a specific instance where Bret's approach to the wrestling business probably got in the way of two parties doing the smart thing. Because Hart took wrestling so seriously, it sometimes clouded his decision-making, as it did WWE's during one of the most iconic incidents in wrestling history. Nash proposed a contractual solution that might have prevented the infamous Montreal Screwjob at the 1997 Survivor Series. Nash Suggested A Creative Workaround For WWE When asked about Hart’s reputation as one of the best workers, but one of the most critical and opinionated former stars of the industry, Nash discussed Hart’s role during a transitional period in the WWF. “People weren’t there. Then Bret was our guy,” Nash said. “Like, when Hogan left, man, Bret was our… he was the guy that kind of carried the company until Vince could kind of put the pieces in place. But, you know, like, Bret was super over, and he was just, you know, he was a good champion.” Nash suggested that Hart’s approach to wrestling set him apart from many of his peers. “Bret’s always going to be misunderstood, because Bret took it as a business, but he also loved it. It was his family’s. It was a passion in his family,” Nash explained. Meanwhile, Nash and many of his wrestling buddies joked and took advantage of the lifestyle. What Hart's Stance On Wrestling Had To Do With Survivor Series Turning to the Montreal Screwjob, Nash questioned Hart’s refusal to drop the WWF Championship in Canada because he thought it would make him look weak to his Canadian fans and wasn't prepared to put Shawn Michaels over in Canada. That whole issue led to a shoot decision by WWE and Vince McMahon to take the title off Hart without his knowledge. Nash suggested there was a simple way all of that could have been avoided. “You’re gonna tell me that you couldn’t f---ing put a non-disclosure clause together that if he… doesn’t drop it at the next shot that’s in the states that he agrees to a $2 million fine?” Nash said rhetorically. “God forbid if you treat the business like a business.” The idea would have been to say to Bret, 'Fine, you can keep the title here, but if you don't lose it like you say you will, you owe us a huge financial penalty.' There's no way Bret would have risked losing millions just to go back on his word.
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