Horn is healthy and practicing Tuesday at OTAs, Will Kunkel of FOX Charlotte reports.
Horn broke a bone in his wrist in Week 16 last year and ended the campaign on injured reserve. There was some hope the cornerback would be available if the Panthers made the postseason, but they ultimately shut him down after being eliminated. Barring a setback, the 2021 first-round pick should slot in as Carolina's top cornerback in 2023.
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Panthers' Donte Jackson: Unavailable to start OTAs
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Jackson (Achilles) was present Tuesday but didn't participate in the first day of Carolina's OTAs, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer reports.
This isn't surprising, as Jackson is still recovering from a torn Achilles he suffered last November, and it remains unclear when he'll be able to play again. The Panthers reworked Jackson's contract this offseason to create some cap savings, and whenever he's cleared, he figures to compete for the starting cornerback job opposite Jaycee Horn.
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Panthers' Brian Burns: Not participating in OTAs
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Burns (ankle) was present Tuesday but didn't participate in the first day of Carolina's OTAs, Mike Kaye of the Charlotte Observer reports.
This isn't surprising, as Burns underwent surgery in mid-April to repair a small fracture in his right ankle. The 2019 first-round pick sat out Week 18 last season with what was labeled as a sprained ankle, but he was able to participate in the Pro Bowl Games a few weeks later. Burns then reported discomfort at the start of Carolina's offseason program and underwent further testing which revealed the fracture. It's unclear how much offseason work he'll miss, but as yet the Panthers don't seem concerned about his Week 1 availability.
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Nico Bolden: Let go Tuesday
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Bolden (undisclosed) was waived with an injury waiver by the Panthers on Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Bolden joined Carolina as an undrafted free agent in April. However, he now faces the possibility of spending the 2023 season on IR, if he goes unclaimed.
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Panthers' CJ Henderson: Fifth-year option not picked up
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Henderson's fifth-year option was not exercised by the Panthers on Monday, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer reports.
Henderson will now be a free agent after the conclusion of the 2023 season. The cornerback struggled to find his footing with Jacksonville to open his career after the team selected him in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, and he now is going into his third season as a member of the Panthers. In 2022, Henderson recorded a career-high 58 tackles to go with six pass defenses (including two interceptions) and a forced fumble over 17 contests.
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Panthers' Derrick Brown: Fifth-year option picked up
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Brown had his fifth-year option picked up by the Panthers on Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Brown has been very productive over three seasons with the Panthers, most recently recording a career-high 67 tackles, including a sack, while deflecting seven passes and intercepting a ball over 17 games in 2022. The team will now have another year of control on Brown before he could reach free agency following the 2024 campaign.
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Panthers' Jammie Robinson: Headed to Carolina
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The Panthers selected Robinson in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 145th overall.
Robinson split his collegiate career between South Carolina and Florida State, earning all-conference honors with the Seminoles. He's capable both in coverage and as a run-stopper, and his game features an old-school physical style. Despite having the desire, Robinson lacks the size of a prototypical strong safety, standing at 5-foot-10 and 191 pounds. He'll likely begin his NFL career as a special-teams contributor.
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Panthers' DJ Johnson: Added by Carolina in third round
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The Panthers selected Johnson in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 80th overall.
Johnson is an unusual prospect. He's hyper athletic and was generally productive at Oregon, but his skill set is underdeveloped after bouncing back and forth between defensive end and tight end for six years going back to 2017. The result is that Johnson is both raw and over-aged at 25 -- normally cause for the NFL to ignore a prospect -- but Johnson is an exception because he's such a remarkable athlete. Even at a sturdy 6-foot-4, 260 pounds, Johnson boasts a jaw-dropping 4.49-second 40-yard dash, giving him unique upside despite his uneven profile.
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Panthers' Sam Franklin: Staying in Carolina
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Franklin signed a one-year deal with the Panthers on Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Franklin was originally a restricted free agent, and now that he's signed his tender, the 27-year-old will be back in Carolina for the upcoming campaign. After going undrafted in 2020, he played primarily on special teams last season and logged 20 tackles (15 solo) in 17 games. Franklin should have a similar role and contribute on special teams during the 2023 campaign.
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Panthers' Yetur Gross-Matos: Moving to OLB
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Gross-Matos will move to outside linebacker with Carolina transitioning to a 3-4 defense, Steve Reed of the Associated Press reports.
New defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero is transitioning the Panthers from the 4-3 scheme they had been running the past three seasons. Gross-Matos previously was listed as a defensive end, but in the new system the 2020 second-round pick will need to learn to drop back into coverage more often. During his three-year NFL career, Gross-Matos has racked up 106 tackles, 8.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in 43 appearances, playing a career-high 806 defensive snaps in 2022 as he moved into a starting role.
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Panthers' Brian Burns: Has ankle surgery
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Burns underwent surgery to repair a small fracture in his right ankle last Wednesday, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.
Burns sat out Week 18 of last season with what was called a sprained ankle at the time. While he was able to participate in the Pro Bowl Games in early February, he reported discomfort in his ankle in the early stages of the offseason program. After undergoing tests, the fracture was revealed, and a procedure was performed by Dr. Robert Anderson. Burns is coming off three straight campaigns with at least nine sacks, including 12.5 in 16 contests in 2022.
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Panthers' John Penisini: Ends retirement, joins Carolina
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Penisini signed a contract with the Panthers on Monday, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.
The 25-year-old Penisini announced his retirement last offseason, but after a year away from football, he's electing to resume his career in Carolina. A 2020 sixth-round pick, Penisini spent his first two NFL seasons in Detroit, recording 49 tackles (23 solo) and a sack in 32 games. Penisini will look to provide depth at nose tackle as Carolina switches to a 3-4 defense.
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Panthers' Henry Anderson: Returns to Carolina
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The Panthers re-signed Anderson to a one-year deal Tuesday, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer reports.
Anderson will return to Carolina and likely serve as depth along the defensive line. The 31-year-old registered 18 tackles (nine solo) last year, and he failed to record a sack for the second consecutive season. Anderson has now had two of the least productive seasons of his career since leaving the Jets following the 2020 season, but the 2015 third-round pick will look to bounce back next year in a new defensive scheme, as former Broncos coordinator Ejiro Evero takes over the defense for the Panthers.
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Texans' Cory Littleton: Gets one-year deal with Texans
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Littleton is signing a one-year contract worth up to $2.7 million with Houston on Tuesday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
Littleton appeared in 15 games with the Panthers last season, recording his lowest tackle total (47) since 2018. The 29-year-old seems likely to handle a similar depth role with Houston in 2023, meaning he would carry minimal fantasy value in IDP formats.
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49ers' Myles Hartsfield: Signs with San Francisco
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The 49ers reached a deal with Hartsfield on Saturday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Hartsfield was a restricted free agent but will now head to San Francisco after the Panthers opted not to place a tender on him. The move will reunite the 25-year-old with 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, whom Hartsfield had his most productive season with this past year. The 2020 undrafted free agent should now have the opportunity to compete with Tashaun Gipson for the starting safety job opposite Talanoa Hufanga.
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Panthers' Donte Jackson: Adjusts contract
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Jackson (Achilles) restructured his contract with the Panthers on Thursday, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.
Jackson suffered a season-ending torn Achilles in November, and although he could be ready for the start of the season, he'll do so with a reworked contract. The cap savings this will create for Carolina is not yet clear, but Jackson was set for a $13.5 million cap hit in 2023, and part of the restructured deal will result in him getting a $4 million roster bonus, David Newton of ESPN.com reports. When healthy, Jackson should be one of the team's starting corners opposite Jaycee Horn.
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Myles Hartsfield: Not offered tender
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The Panthers are not offering Hartsfield a restricted free agent tender ahead of the start of the new league year Wednesday, Anthony Rizzuti of USA Today reports.
Hartsfield has spent the duration of his three-year NFL career in Carolina, joining the team as an undrafted free agent out of Ole Miss back in 2020. Across those three seasons with the Panthers, Hartsfield accumulated a total of 18 combined tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and seven pass breakups in 41 games.
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Panthers' Sam Franklin: Tendered by Panthers
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Franklin received the minimum restricted free-agent tender from the Panthers on Monday, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reports.
This move gives the Panthers the ability to match any contract offered to Franklin. The linebacker-turned-safety is likely to return to Carolina in 2023, as Franklin's 67 tackles through 47 NFL games are unlikely to generate much buzz on the free-agent market.
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Panthers' Shaq Thompson: Staying with team
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Thompson agreed Saturday to re-work the remainder of his two-year contract with the Panthers, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
The veteran linebacker had an untenable $24.6 million cap hit entering Saturday, prompting many to assume Thompson would be a cap casualty. Instead, the valued leader will return for his ninth year with the franchise and try to add onto his string of four straight seasons with 100-plus tackles.
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Damien Wilson: Let go by Carolina
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The Panthers released Wilson on Friday, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.
Wilson signed a two-year deal with the Panthers in March 2022, but he fell out of the linebacker rotation completely last season as Carolina transitioned into a new defensive scheme. He posted a career-high 106 tackles with the Jaguars in 2021 and should garner plenty of interest as a free agent this summer.
