The Carolina Panthers kept churning the bottom of the roster Saturday, adding three defenders and moving on from three players as injuries continue to shape the early days of training camp.
Defensive linemen Elijah Garcia and Kyon Barrs, along with defensive back DeCarlos Nicholson, were brought in to help cover for the growing list of absences on defense. To clear space, Carolina waived offensive tackle Derrell Bailey, linebacker Jared Bartlett and defensive back Mike Reid.
The latest wave came on the heels of Friday’s roster activity, when the Panthers claimed offensive tackle Ryan Hayes off waivers from the Tennessee Titans and released undrafted wide receiver Kobe Prentice.
With six projected starters already on injury lists - including Nic Scourton (knee) on the season-ending injured reserve - Carolina has been forced to dig deep to keep camp reps moving. Guard Rob Hunt and cornerback Mike Jackson also sat out Friday’s practice because of back tightness.
Garcia is the most seasoned addition of the group. The Rice product has logged 17 NFL games and three starts, bouncing through the Los Angeles Rams, Denver Broncos, New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons after going undrafted in 2022.
The 28-year-old, listed at 6-foot-5 and 302 pounds, has 28 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble on his resume. He should help absorb the snaps left behind by Turk Wharton (PUP - neck) and Bobby Brown (NFI - hamstring).
Barrs arrives with a different path. The 6-foot-2, 290-pound lineman spent the spring in the UFL after four seasons at Arizona and a final college stop at Southern California in 2023.
He has not played in a regular-season NFL game, but he did post 26 tackles and a half-sack for the Houston Gamblers. Carolina likely sees him as depth behind Derrick Brown, LaBryan Ray, Lee Hunter and Cam Jackson.
Nicholson gives the Panthers another big-bodied corner. The undrafted rookie spent the spring with the Cleveland Browns after a six-year college run that included Mississippi Gulf Community College, Mississippi State and Southern California. At 6-3 and 200 pounds, he could slide into third-string work while Carolina sorts out snaps for Jackson and Jaycee Horn (NFI - foot).
All three newcomers worked out for the Panthers after practice Friday.
Bailey’s stay was short from the start. He worked out Thursday, signed Friday and got into the team’s second training camp practice before being waived Saturday.
Bartlett had been around longer, spending the entire spring in Carolina and taking part in the first two camp practices. Even so, he was sitting behind Claudin Cherelus, Bam Martin-Scott, Maema Njongmeta and seventh-round pick Jackson Kuwatch in the race for a backup linebacker spot. He previously landed with Carolina on a future/reserve deal after a stint with the Arizona Cardinals.
Reid was the longest-tenured of the three departures. He spent the offseason at safety for the Panthers after originally joining the team last year as an undrafted cornerback. Most of the 2025 season found him shuttling on and off the practice squad, and he has yet to appear in an NFL game.
All three players are subject to waivers.
Friday’s roster moves also tied back to the tackle situation. Hayes, a 2023 seventh-round pick of the Miami Dolphins, adds another body to the offensive tackle group.
He has played in one game while spending time with four different teams since entering the league. Prentice, an undrafted rookie from Baylor, was part of Carolina’s spring roster but was buried on a crowded receiver depth chart that includes Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker, Chris Brazzell, Xavier Legette, John Metchie, Jimmy Horn Jr., David Moore, Dan Chisena, Ainias Smith and Malick Meiga.
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