At 1-5, the Carolina Panthers have cut cornerback Troy Hill as they embrace a youth movement. After finishing the 2023 season with the worst record in football, first-year head coach Dave Canales knew he couldn’t rebuild this team in one offseason. With too many roster holes to fill, the former Buccaneers offensive coordinator prioritized the offense, rebuilding the offensive line while adding wide receivers Diontae Johnson and first-round pick Xavier Legette into the mix. This approach worked, as the offense took off once the team benched Bryce Young for Andy Dalton.
Unfortunately, these offensive additions came at the expense of the defense. With Brian Burns in New York, the Panthers lacked the pass rush to compensate for an already weak secondary. Now with the season effectively over, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeted that the team cut Troy Hill so they could give more playing time to their younger cornerbacks. This makes sense, as the Panthers want to see if they can find a diamond in the rough, while Hill would much rather play with a contender like the Baltimore Ravens or Kansas City Chiefs.
As the #Panthers go younger, source says they’re releasing veteran CB Troy Hill. It’s a move that makes sense for both sides, as an experienced defender becomes available. pic.twitter.com/jjD0h8P9ah
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 18, 2024
Troy Hill Could Sign With Ravens, Chiefs After Unceremonious Cut
Troy Hill is not a Defensive Player of the Year candidate by any stretch of the imagination, but the recently cut veteran can provide some valuable depth for a team that could use more support in the secondary. That description fits the Baltimore Ravens to a tee, as the unit isn’t as strong as usual. Normally associated with a deep and talented group of defensive backs, Baltimore’s secondary has struggled through the first six games of the season. Marlon Humphrey is still great, but Brandon Stephens is nothing special, and first-round pick Nate Wiggins is going through some growing pains as he adjusts to the NFL.
Seeing as they share a division with the Cincinnati Bengals and a conference with the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs, the Ravens could use as many reliable cornerbacks as they can find. Lamar Jackson is playing like an MVP and Derrick Henry is dominating opponents on the ground, but the Ravens can’t bank on winning every game in a shootout. Troy Hill isn’t good enough to handle Ja’Marr Chase on an island, but the veteran could cut out a spot for himself as a valuable depth piece who should see plenty of action in nickel packages.
Super Bowl Reinforcements
The Kansas City Chiefs enter Week 7 with a pristine 5-0 record, but it will take more than regular season success to win their third consecutive Super Bowl. The offense isn’t as unstoppable as usual, as quarterback Patrick Mahomes is struggling to make it work without free agent signee Marquise Brown and the reliable Rashee Rice. While Travis Kelce and first-round pick Xavier Worthy are still around, the defense must do more heavy to maintain their status as kings of the NFL.
With L’Jarius Sneed now with the Tennessee Titans, the Chiefs could use another cornerback. Trent McDuffie remains elite and Jaylen Watson is having a strong season, but you need more than two reliable cornerbacks in today’s pass-happy NFL. Troy Hill cannot match Sneed’s impressive play, but the cut veteran could easily be the third cornerback on this depth chart. If Kansas City’s offense doesn’t improve, this team will need someone like Hill to keep games from turning into shootouts.
Main Photo: Jim Dedmon – USA Today Sports
