Archives for September 2019

What to Expect From Larry’s Post Game Trench Warfare Segment

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Young Edges:

 Bruce Irvin has already been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Rams. This has opened up an unexpected opportunity for Brian Burns to make his first NFL start. Also, expect additional reps from 2nd year edge rusher Marquis Haynes who is coming off an impressive preseason, where he showed an improved ability to get to the quarterback with 4 sacks. A fast start to the season will give these two all the confidence needed to help this Carolina defense return to the top ranks of the NFL.

Between these young edge rushers and the quarterback is 6-8 300 pound right tackle Rob Havenstein, who was a 2015 2nd round pick. He should create quite the challenge for the Panthers young edge rushers seeing as though he has all the tools to be a premiere right tackle in the NFL. Glimpses of such were displayed during his rookie season where he did not allow a sack all season.

On the left side you are looking at a 12 year veteran, 4x pro bowl, and 2x all pro left tackle Andrew Whitworth. He turns 38 this December but is STILL regarded as one of the best left tackles in the league. He is the leader of that unit and will also provide a good test for young edge rushers.

It will be interesting to see how Burns and Haynes fair against the talented tackles of the Rams.

Interior Linemen:

Who could be more excited than Gerald Mccoy right now? After a long offseason of seeing a new staff brought in to his old home and being released by that same staff, to signing to his division rival, at the same time seeing his old team just give his old number away, Panther Nation can be more than certain that Gerald Mccoy is itching to prove the doubters wrong. His first opportunity is Sunday in BOA.

One could argue that Kawaan Short should be just as amped. For the first time ever, he gets to play alongside a perennial pro bowler and all pro, which should allow to exploit one on one opportunities, which he tends to dominate. Based on what we have seen thus far the two pro bowl interior defensive linemen have built quite the rapport and plan to be a wrecking force together for the 2019 season and hopefully the foreseeable future.

That leaves Dontari Poe. He was previously one of the most dominating nose tackles in the league. After a disappointing 2018 season, it is fair to say that he has plenty to prove. This may be the most talented group of men he has played with so making his fair share of impact plays seems to be attainable. He will have a great opportunity come Sunday when facing off against first year starter at center, Brian Allen. Allen has never started an NFL game so expect Poe to establish himself right away, and set the tone for four quarters.

Consistent Play:

Two players along the Panther front have embodied what it means to be consistent, and we should expect nothing less from them in Week 1. Mario Addison and Kyle Love have played their roles perfectly to the point where they don’t surprise anyone. They give you the same effort and production every year. Addison has been a constant headache for quarterbacks while registering at least 9 sacks each of the last three seasons. Kyle Love is the unsung hero of the d line. While he has never established a long term lucrative contract, he showed that he was valuable enough for the Panthers to reach out to him for another season, even when it seemed as if he’d be sitting on the free agent shelf all summer. In 2018 he made plenty of impact plays that rarely showed up on the stat sheet and that has always been his style. We should expect nothing less moving forward.

Offensive Line:

It is no secret that the Panthers are facing the league’s most dominant player Aaron Donald. Accompanied with a couple established pass rushers in Clay Matthews and Donte Fowler, it will be interesting to see if the Panthers offensive line can collectively put together an inspiring performance. The biggest question revolves around Matt Paradis and Daryl Williams. Are they truly healthy? Aaron Donald and Donte Fowler are two of the most athletic players at their respective positions, so we will know early and often if Paradis and Williams are healthy enough to answer the bill. Blocking Donald will require some assistance more often than not, however we still will get a good gauge as to how effective Paradis can be. Hopefully, he has regained the mobility that allowed him to be one of the top centers in the league in Denver. Williams and Taylor Moton have struggled in the pre season. The speed and experience that both Fowler and Matthews bring to the table should be a good test for our Tackles.

Summary:

These are the things that should intrigue Panther fans that pay close attention to the trenches. There are some obvious expectations, as well as some key matchups to follow. Catch up with me next week for a segment covering these matchups and together we can get a good idea of how Good this Panther offensive line can be.

 

-Keep Pounding -4MR Larry

DIVISION RIVALRIES: Falcons

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The rivalry between the Panthers and Falcons is one of the biggest in the NFL. The rivalry was dubbed “I-85 Rivalry” due to the teams being four hours apart down Interstate 85. The two teams have been rivals since Carolina’s inaugural year in 1995, as they were both in the NFC West division. In 2002, both teams were placed in the NFC South division, where they still play today.

The Panthers and Falcons have played in 48 regular season games and Atlanta leads the series 30-18. Even though Atlanta has 12 more wins than Carolina, the point totals are a little closer than one might think. In their rivalry, Atlanta has scored 1,028 points and Carolina has scored 943 points. That’s not a huge difference in points when you consider that former Falcons’ quarterback, Michael Vick, used to dominate the Panthers in nearly every meeting. Carolina has swept Atlanta three times in 1997, 2005 and 2013. Atlanta has swept Carolina nine times in 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2010, 2011, 2016 and 2018.

NFC WEST

The first meeting between the Panthers and Falcons came on September 3, 1995, in Atlanta. In Carolina’s first every regular season game, the Panthers took it into overtime, where the Falcons won by a field goal. The Panthers started fast, as they took a 13-3 lead in the first quarter. Not to be outdone, Atlanta scored ten points in the second quarter to tie it up. Atlanta then scored a touchdown in the third quarter to take the lead. In the fourth quarter, Carolina quarterback, Frank Reich, threw a 44 yard touchdown to Willie Green to tie it up. In overtime, Atlanta’s kicker, Morten Anderson, sealed the victory with a 35 yard field goal. Carolina was led by Frank Reich, who threw for 329 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Willie Green has 7 receptions for 121 yards and a touchdown. Mark Carrier had 5 catches for 96 yards and 0 touchdowns. Atlanta was led by Jeff George, who threw for 290 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception (by Carolina’s safety Brett Maxie). Atlanta’s receiving trio of Terrance Mathis, Eric Metcalf and Bert Emanuel had a combined 270 yards and 2 touchdowns. After losing the first game in the rivalry, Carolina would only win 5 out of the next 13 games against Atlanta while in the NFC West.

In 2001, the Falcons drafted a quarterback named Michael Vick from Virginia Tech with the first overall pick. Vick was considered one of the most dynamic athletes ever drafted, and he gave Carolina headaches from the moment he was drafted, mainly on the ground. Atlanta swept Carolina in Vick’s rookie year, even though he only played one game against Carolina once and only threw two passes.

NFC South 2002-2010

In 2002, the NFL realigned the division after the addition of the Houston Texans, who were an expansion team. The NFC South was born and the Panthers and Falcons remained rivals in that division. The Falcons would win six out of 10 games with Vick at the helm from 2002 to 2006. In 2006, Vick would become the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards. In his six years with the Falcons, Vick had 1,493 yards, 6 touchdowns and 8 interceptions in ten games against the Panthers. He also had 485 yards and 5 touchdowns on the ground. Not huge stats from a guy who torched Carolina on more than one occasion. He was such a pain for Carolina, that they drafted hybrid linebacker, Thomas Davis, specifically to spy on Vick.

In August of 2007, Vick plead guilty to federal charges of dog fighting and was suspended from the NFL. He went to prison shortly thereafter. After a year of Joey Harrington at quarterback, Atlanta drafted Matt Ryan. In the four years after Vick, Atlanta would win five out of eight games.

Meanwhile, Jake Delhomme was the quarterback for Carolina until 2009. Jake has his struggles towards the end of his career after having Tommy John surgery in 2007. After Vinny Testaverde and Matt Moore played quarterback for the Panthers, they decided to go a different direction at quarterback in 2010. Carolina drafted quarterback, Jimmy Clausen, in the second round of the 2010 NFL draft. That season, Carolina only won two games, which gave them the number one pick of the 2011 draft.

Cam Newton Era

2010 was a tough season for Panther Nation, but it awarded them the number one pick in the 2011 NFL draft. Carolina selected their own duel threat quarterback, Cam Newton. Cam brought the excitement back to the Carolinas, and has had a lot of high scoring battles against the Falcons.

Since Cam was drafted, the Panthers are 6-10 against the Falcons. One of those losses came last season with Taylor Heinicke under center. The I-85 Rivalry has had some close games, and some blow outs. Despite the Falcons having 10 wins over Carolina, the Panthers have outscored Atlanta 368-359 since 2011. Also, the Falcons blew a 25 point lead in the Super Bowl.

In 2018, Atlanta placed second in the division with a record of 7-9. They didn’t have a whole lot of salary cap to work with, but here are some notable transactions:

Signed DE Adrian Clayborn

Signed DT Allen Bailey

Drafted G Chris Lindstrom

Drafted OT Kaleb McGary

Carolina upgraded their roster significantly this offseason and they should have a good chance at beating the Falcons. Carolina will look to build on the promising start they had in 2018, where they started 6-2. Marty Hurney transformed the Carolina roster during the offseason, so there was a lot of roster turnover. Carolina’s notable transactions:

Released CB Captain Munnerlyn

Re-signed S Eric Reid

Signed C Matt Paradis

Re-signed OT Daryl Williams

Signed DE/OLB Bruce Irvin

Signed WR Chris Hogan

Re-signed DT Kyle Love

Drafted DE/OLB Brian Burns

Drafted OT Greg Little

Signed WR Aldrick Robinson

Signed CB Javien Elliott

Signed DT Gerald McCoy

Signed S Tre Boston

Hurney was busy this offseason and the Panthers appear to be in win-now mode. Hopefully, it translates into wins on the field in 2019.

What to Expect in 2019

The expectations for the Panthers in the upcoming season, is to split the series with the Falcons. It’s entirely possible that Carolina will sweep Atlanta, given their vastly improved roster. These two teams battle hard whenever they meet, and it is always fun to watch. Here is a comparison of key players for both teams:

PANTHERS
CAR
ATL
FALCONS
Cam
Newton
✓
Matt
Ryan
Christian
McCaffrey
✓
Devonta
Freeman
Curtis
Samuel
✓
Julio
Jones
Greg
Olsen
✓
Austin
Hooper
Defense
✓
Defense

Cam Newton

VS

Drew Brees

In 14 games, Newton threw for 3,395 yards, 24 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 2018. It should be noted that that Cam played injured from week nine to week fourteen.

In 16 games, Ryan threw for 4,924 yards, 35 touchdowns and 7 interceptions in 2018.

As hard as this is to type, Matt Ryan was really good last year, and has been fairly consistent throughout his career. He has passed for 5,996 yards, 36 touchdowns and 16 interceptions for Atlanta in 22 games against the Carolina. In the last five years, Ryan has the most yards per attempt in the NFL. Newton has 3,241 yards, 21 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in 15 games against Atlanta. Cam also has 721 yards rushing and 6 touchdowns in the same time frame. Unfortunately, Matt Ryan takes this one by a hair. This could change in 2019, as Carolina will have a healthy Cam Newton with a bevy of weapons and improved offensive line. 

Christian McCaffrey

VS

Devonta Freeman

Last season, McCaffrey had 219 carries for 1,098 yards (5.0 AVG per carry) and 7 touchdowns in 16 games. He also had 107 receptions for 867 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Last season, Freeman had 14 carries for 68 yards (4.9 AVG per carry) due to an injury. In week one, he sustained a knee bruise and missed three games. Then, a sports hernia ended his season.

McCaffrey wins this by a mile. Not to say Freeman isn’t a good running back, but he doesn’t have the upside that McCaffrey does. Atlanta hopes that Freeman has a bounce back year, but it won’t be enough to knock CMC out of first place. 

Curtis Samuel

VS

Julio Jones

Last season, Samuel had 39 receptions for 494 touchdowns and 5 touchdowns in 13 games. He missed time due to injury and it took time for him to become more integrated into the offense when he returned.

Last season, Quintorris Lopez (Julio) Jones had 113 receptions for 1,677 yards and 8 touchdowns in 16 games.

Jones has been a model of dominance and consistency throughout his career. Last year was no different, so Jones wins this by a landslide. It’s hard to tell what Samuel will do based on his injury history. Samuel could very well have a dominant season based on what everyone saw in training camp, but it remains to be seen if he will surpass Jones in 2019. 

Greg Olsen

VS

Austin Hooper

Olsen, who has had trouble staying healthy the last two years, only had 27 receptions for 291 yards and 4 touchdowns last season, in 9 games. Hopefully, he can stay healthy and get back to his Pro Bowl level, but there are no guarantees.

Last season, Hooper had 71 receptions, 660 yards and 4 touchdowns in 16 games.

Hooper has done well in Atlanta’s offense, but he isn’t the red zone threat that Olsen is. Olsen wins this based on him being completely healthy (he’s stated publicly that this is the first time he’s been 100% in two years), his blocking and his red zone dominance. Hopefully, Olsen will remain healthy and give Cam that safety net that he’s missed.

Panthers’ Defense

VS

Falcons’ Defense

Last season, Carolina’s defense was in the middle of the league, as they allowed the 15th most yards per game and the 19th most points per game.

Last season, Atlanta’s defense was towards the bottom of the league, as they  were 28th in yards allowed and 8th in most points allowed.

Carolina’s defense should be much improved this year, with the additions of Gerald McCoy, Bruce Irvin, Brian Burns, Tre Boston and Javien Elliott. Carolina will also have a multi-look defense instead of a base 4-3 like in year’s past, so it will be interesting to see how much of a pass rush will be generated this season. Atlanta upgraded their defensive line, but it likely won’t be enough to make much of a difference. Carolina wins this matchup with ease. 

If Carolina stays relatively healthy, they should at least split the series with Atlanta. Judging by how poorly Atlanta did last year, it’s not impossible for Carolina to sweep Atlanta. It could honestly go either way, but Carolina has the talent to retake their throne atop of the NFC South.

A Look Ahead: Rams

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It’s finally here. The day that fans have been looking forward to since January. Week one of NFL action is upon us, and the Panthers have the NFC Champions coming to town. Carolina would love to start off fast this year, and they’re going to have quite the test this week. Here is a look ahead to this week one matchup:

LA Rams

Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator

Sean McVay

Defensive Coordinator

Wade Phillips

Key Acquisitions

LB Clay Matthews

S Eric Weddle

Key Losses

DT Ndamukong Suh

FS Lamarcus Joyner

RB CJ Anderson

Key Draft Picks

S Taylor Rapp

RB Darrell Henderson

The Rams didn’t have much roster turnaround this offseason, so they’ll likely be a powerhouse again in 2019. Wide receiver, Cooper Kupp, was injured the majority of 2018, so his return gives LA another weapon. The Rams defense wasn’t as dominant last season as they had hoped, and the losses of Suh and Joyner may have a larger impact than they think.

Panthers

Head Coach

Ron Rivera

Offensive Coordinator

Norv Turner

Defensive Coordinator

Eric Washington

Key Acquisitions

C Matt Paradis

LB Bruce Irvin

CB Javien Elliott

WR Chris Hogan

DT Gerald McCoy

S Tre Boston

Key Losses

LB Thomas Davis

C Ryan Kalil

DE Julius Peppers

Key Draft Picks

DE Brian Burns

OT Greg Little

RB Jordan Scarlett

The Panthers have definitely upgraded the roster, at least on paper, and they hope to start fast. Last season they started 6-2 before Cam’s injury and they’d love to be in that position again this season, minus the injury to Newton. This year’s defense looks to have more of a pass rush and a more complete secondary, and the offense looks more explosive. Most importantly, Carolina is better in the trenches, which is where games are won or lost.

2018 Team Stat Rankings

Rams

Panthers
2nd– 6,738 yds
Total Offense
10th– 5,972 yds
5th– 4,507 yds
Passing Offense
16th– 3,836 yds
3rd– 2,231 yds
Rushing Offense
4th– 2,136 yds
2nd– 32.9 ppg
Scoring Offense
15th– 23.5 ppg
19th– 5,737 yds
Total Defense
15th– 5,651 yds
14th– 3,780 yds
Passing Defense
18th– 3,847 yds
23rd– 1,957 yds
Rushing Defense
12th– 1,804 yds
20th– 24.0 ppg
Points Allowed
19th– 23.9 ppg

Prior to his injury, Cam Newton was having a better statistical season than his MVP year in 2015. There’s no reason to think he can’t pick up where he left off, and a porous Rams’ defense is a great place to start. Christian McCaffrey running the ball makes this offense explosive, and Carolina also utilizes him a lot in the passing game.

Goff, who was just signed to a four year extension worth $134 million, has the weapons to be successful. Goff passed for 4,688 yards, 32 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last year, and he seems to be getting better by the year. Todd Gurley is one of the best running backs in the league, as he is utilized in the running and passing game.

Things to Watch

Carolina

Cam had the second best completion percentage when using playaction passes. Carolina needs to utilize this not only in this game, but all season. The Rams’ defense was 14th against the pass last season, and it appears as if they’ve regressed since 2018. Not to mention, Carolina’s offensive line has improved substantially since last year.

Christian McCaffrey needs to carry the ball early and often. It wouldn’t hurt to include Scarlett and Bonnafon in the game plan either. The Rams’ defense was 23rd against the run in 2018, and it looks like they could have gotten worse with the loss of Suh. McCaffrey will need to be heavily utilized in the passing game too.

Carolina has a lot of speed at receiver, and also a lot of guys that can get a lot of yards after catch. The Rams do have a good secondary, so Carolina’s receivers need to create space. Aquib Talib has lost a step, so Cam needs to take advantage of him and also aging safety, Eric Weddle.

Carolina’s defense didn’t perform up to their standards last year, until Coach Rivera began calling plays. They have upgraded their pass rush significantly this offseason, and also have a better secondary than they did. The Rams use a lot of play action passing, so Rivera needs to game plan for that. Bradberry and Jackson will have their work cut out for them, as will Boston and Reid. Don’t get beat deep! Hopefully, McCoy, Short and company will get to Goff before he throws it deep.

Los Angeles

Jared Goff utilizes the playaction pass more than most quarterbacks, so if LA wants to win this game, they’re going to need that. Having Todd Gurley involved in both facets of the game will help Goff. Carolina’s defense was ranked 18th against the pass in 2018, but they’ve gotten better since.

Todd Gurley is one of the best running backs in the league. If the Rams want to win, they’ll have to find ways to get him the ball. Carolina was decent at stopping the run in 2018, and looks to have only gotten better. However, you can’t stop Gurley. You can only limit him, and even that’s tough.

The Rams’ receivers are talented, and they’re led by Brandon Cooks, Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp. Carolina will have the tough test of knowing where all three (plus Gurley) are on the field. Carolina better hope their pass rush shows up.

The Rams’ defense wasn’t exactly dominating last season, and they seem to have regressed a little bit. The loss of Suh and Joyner hurts, but they still have Aaron Donald wreaking havoc. They also have a good secondary. If the Rams want to win, they’ll have to stop McCaffrey from pounding the ball up the middle.

Keys to a Carolina Win

Utilize ground game.

Use playaction passes.

Limit Todd Gurley’s effectiveness.

Key Matchups

Christian McCaffrey VS Rams’ defensive line.

Curtis Samuel and DJ Moore VS Marcus Peters and Aquib Talib.

Carolina’s offensive line VS Aaron Donald.

Carolina’s pass rush VS Rams’ offensive line.

Bradberry and Jackson VS Cooks and Woods.

Injury Report

The Rams are fully healthy coming into the season. The Panthers, however, have Bruce Irvin and Greg Little on the injury report. It appears as if Little will be out, but Irvin has a small chance to play. If Irvin is out on Sunday, Carolina rookie, Brian Burns, will get more playing time. Carolina’s 2018 fourth round pick, Marquis Haynes, will also get an extended workload.

Prediction

It’s going to be a tough matchup for both teams and a true test for Carolina. Christian McCaffrey will get going early and that’ll set Carolina up for success. Both teams will have success offensively, but ultimately Carolina will take this game at home 30-27

Fun Side Note: Since 2008, Carolina has played the reigning NFC Champs every year. They’ve won three of the last four matchups. 

Rush Review: Who Are These New Guys?

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When the Carolina Panthers announced their 53-man roster on this past
Saturday by the 4:00 pm EST deadline, many fans were mostly pleased with
the players that made the team.  However, there were some surprise cuts
made 24 hours later; and a trio of mostly unknown players claimed off the
waiver wire were now added to the roster. Needless to say, this lead to some
head-scratching reactions throughout the Panthers Nation. Let’s investigate
what happened and the reasons why general manager Marty Hurney made
these decisions.

Who was released and why: Twitter accounts by Carolina Panthers related
sources flooded the newsfeed with the news that the team had released WR
Torrey Smith, RB Elijah Holyfield and CB Kevon Seymour. Each one of the
players had fans divided in opinions all summer long over if they should be on
the final roster or not.

Smith was looking to bounce back as a reliable deep threat in the Panthers
offense from an injury filled 2018 season. Hurney said the decision to cut
Smith was “…very difficult because he is a classy guy and a proven leader on
the team on and off the field.” He also said that the team wanted players at the
5th and 6th receiver to be able to contribute on all four phases on special
teams. This was not something that Smith could not provide in his 9th season.
His release had zero impact on the salary cap because his 2019 salary of $3M
was not guaranteed.

Holyfield was an undrafted rookie RB from University of Georgia that became
quickly popular with fans as the longshot player to be backup to RB Christian
McCaffrey. When the roster was announced that RBs Jordan Scarlett and
Reggie Bonnafon also made the team, it was puzzling why the position was
four players deep. Despite his 2 TD performance at Chicago and a few nice
plays here and there, it was clear to see his best efforts could justify keeping a
roster spot at a loaded position.

Seymour spent a large part of training camp and preseason missing from a
hamstring injury. He had already missed the entire 2018 season with both
shoulders injured. Despite having a very strong performance in the final

preseason game vs. Pittsburgh it was not strong enough to lock in a place in
the defensive backfield.

Who was signed and why:  When it was announced that the Panthers claimed
DB Natrell Jamerson and WRs Brandon Zylstra and Ray-Ray McCloud off
waivers, it sent a vast majority of Panthers fans scrambling to find out who
they are and what they can do.

Jamerson is a 5-11, 201 lb. defensive back who played for the University of
Wisconsin from 2014 – 2017. After playing as a WR his freshman year, he
switched to playing CB his sophomore and junior season seasons and then
switched to playing safety his senior year. That year, he had 32 tackles (61
career), 3.5 tackles for loss (5.0 career), 1.5 sacks, 2 INTs with 1 returned for a
TD and 10 pass deflections (14 career).  He also showed kickoff return
abilities with 38 returns for 784 yards with a 20.6 yards per return and 1 TD
return.  He was the defensive MVP in the 2018 East-West Shrine Game. During
the 2018 NFL combine he ran a 4.4 time in the 40-yard dash, 25 bench reps,
35.5 inches vertical jump and a 10 foot broad jump. His draft profile stated his
strengths were: speed, football IQ, solid tackler, man coverage skills and
special teams. The weaknesses are covering big receivers and hesitant at
times when tackling downfield. The New Orleans Saints drafted him 5th round
in the 2018 Draft but waived him on the final roster cutdown. He was
immediately picked up off waiver by the Houston Texans and played in 10
games, which yielded seven tackles and one pass deflection. In December
2018, he was waived but was quickly picked up by the Green Bay Packers in
which during his time there only made three tackles. He was waived this past
Saturday.

Zylstra is 6-2 and 220 lb. wide receiver who played at Concordia College in
Moorhead, MN from 2013 – 2016. In 29 games, he had 120 catches for 1932
receiving yards with 16.1 yards per catch along 18 TD catches. He was also
one of the top track and field athletes at the school who broke records. He
went to North Dakota State’s Pro Day in 2016.  He had a 4.6 time in the 40-
yard dash, 1.64 seconds in the 10-yard split, 2.75 seconds in the 20 yard split,
7.19 time in the three cone drill, 34 inches in the vertical jump, 10 ft 8 in broad
jump and 16 bench reps. After going undrafted in the 2016 NFL Draft, he
signed a two-year contract with the Edmonton Eskimos in the CFL.  In the
2017 season, he led the league in receiving with 1687 yards. This led to

getting a 3 year rookie contract with the Minnesota Vikings in January 2018.
He played on all 4 special teams’ units in 16 games last season. He was waived
this past Saturday.

McCloud is 5-10 and 190 lb. wide receiver and punt returner who played at
Clemson University from 2015 – 2017. In 39 games, he had 127 catches for
1226 receiving yards with 9.7 yards per catch along with 4 TD catches. He also
had 18 carries for 106 rushing yards with 5.9 yards per carry. He also
returned 25 punts for 303 yards with 1 TD returned.  After his junior season
he declared for the 2018 NFL Draft. At the combine, he ran a 4.53 time in the
40-yard dash, 13 bench reps, 34.5 inches vertical jump and 9 ft 5 in broad
jump. The Buffalo Bills drafted him in the 6th round.

Summary: Hurney said that Jamerson will play both CB and safety on defense
along with all four special teams including gunner on the punt team. Zylstra is
also being brought in to play all the special teams’ units along with being an
option as a possession receiver. McCloud is going to get a legitimate shot to be
the returner on both punts and kickoffs and can be used as a slot wide
receiver as well.