Carolina Panthers claim 6 players off waivers with top priority after cut to 53-man roster

The Carolina Panthers brought in a host of new faces off the waiver wire on Wednesday.

The team announced it claimed cornerbacks Keenan Isaac, Tariq Castro-Fields, and Shemar Bartholomew, linebacker Jon Rhattigan, defensive end Jamie Sheriff, and offensive tackle Jarrett Kingston following Tuesday’s cut-down deadline.

Wide receivers Jalen Coker and Ihmir Smith-Marsette, safety Demani Richardson, cornerback D’Shawn Jamison, defensive tackle Jordan Peevy, and offensive lineman Cade Mays were cut to make room for the new additions.

Isaac, listed as 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, was waived by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this week. The Alabama State alum is a second-year defender who played in two games last season. Isaac, a long, lanky corner, played through a rookie season in Tampa Bay while Panthers head coach Dave Canales was serving as the Bucs’ offensive coordinator.

Castro-Fields, who played college ball at Penn State, was waived by the Washington Commanders after two seasons. The 6-1, 193-pound corner is known as mostly a special teams player. In 10 career games, Castro-Fields has played 100 special teams snaps with 26 reps on defense.

Bartholomew is a 6-1, 200-pound defense back who was waived by the New York Jets. The Georgia Southern alum went undrafted in April but produced eight tackles and two pass breakups in the preseason. Bartholomew participated in a joint practice against the Panthers earlier this month. He also played in Charlotte against Carolina in the team’s lone home preseason game.

Rhattigan is entering his fourth season in the NFL. The veteran special teams ace was cut by Seahawks this week after three seasons in Seattle. The former undrafted free agent from Army played in 36 games over three seasons with the Seahawks. Canales, along with other members of the Panthers’ staff, were in Seattle during Rhattigan’s Seahawks tenure. Rhattigan, who worked with special teams coordinator Tracy Smith as recently as last season, has almost exclusively been used as a special teams ace. At 6-feet, 236 pounds, he has participated in nearly 70% of the Seahawks’ special teams snaps during the past three years.

Sheriff, listed as 6-2 and 265 pounds, was also waived by Seattle. The South Alabama alum is a rotational pass rusher, who went undrafted in April. During his initial NFL preseason, Sheriff produced seven tackles and three sacks over three games. Sheriff figures to be a member of the Panthers’ outside linebacker rotation relatively soon due to the low numbers at the position.

Kingston, a sixth-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers in April, played college ball for Washington State and Southern Cal. Kingston, listed as 6-4 and 305 pounds, is an athletic lineman who ran a 5.02-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in February. He was a college teammate of rookie cornerback Chau Smith-Wade during their shared time at WSU.

The corresponding moves to the roster weren’t particularly surprising.

Coker and Smith-Marsette were among seven wideouts kept after the initial cut-down. With the room stacked with bodies, Coker and Smith-Marsette made sense as luxury weapons.

Peevy, one of seven defensive linemen kept on the initial 53-man roster, was also in a crowded room.

Jamison and Richardson were, in theory, upgraded in the defensive back room by the waiver claims of Castro-Fields, Isaac and Bartholomew. Both defensive backs are likely to return to the practice squad if they go unclaimed on waivers.

Mays was the longest-tenured player of the players who were cut. He had been with the Panthers since 2022, as he was drafted in the sixth round of that year’s class. He was selected during the final year of the Matt Rhule era.

Jamison and Smith-Marsette were both acquired around the cut-down deadline last year. Both had significant roles on special teams under former coordinator Chris Tabor.

Coker, Richardson, Jamison, Mays, Peevy and Smith-Marsette will now be subject to waivers on Thursday.