CHARLOTTE — The Panthers on Sunday signed 13 players to their practice squad, including two veterans. All 13 players were with Carolina in training camp and waived on Saturday.
Wide receiver Ishmael Hyman made the list, as did undrafted rookie linebacker Chris Orr. Kicker/punter Kaare Vedvik could not unseat Joey Slye or Joseph Charlton, but Vedvik did claim one of the practice squad spots.
There have been significant practice squad changes from 2019 to 2020. With the ratification of the new collective bargaining agreement in March, practice squads were slated to increase from 10 to 12 players this year. But with the COVID-19 pandemic, practice squads can include up to 16 players in 2020. Six of those players may be veterans with no restrictions on service time.
The Panthers have two such players on their initial list: running back Reggie Bonnafon and defensive back Natrell Jamerson. Bonnafon was a significant special teams contributor in 2019, rushing for 116 yards and a touchdown in 16 games. Jamerson played five games for the Panthers last season before going on injured reserve with a foot injury. He recorded one defensive tackle and a pair of tackles on special teams.
The Panthers have three open spots on the practice squad.
Below is a list of the 13 Carolina signed on Sunday:
PRACTICE SQUAD:
- DT Myles Adams
- DT Woodrow Hamilton
- DT Bruce Hector
- G Mike Horton
- WR Ishmael Hyman
- DE Austin Larkin
- WR Marken Michel
- LB Chris Orr
- TE Giovanni Ricci
- C Sam Tecklenburg
- K/P Kaare Vedvik
PRACTICE SQUAD VETERAN EXCEPTION:
- RB Reggie Bonnafon
- DB Natrell Jamerson
