CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — With injuries impacting their depth at wide receiver, the Carolina Panthers made a move to acquire wide receiver/returner Ihmir Smith-Marsette from the Kansas City Chiefs in a deal involving a swap of conditional 2025 seventh-round draft picks.
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Smith-Marsette is coming off a strong preseason where he was second in the league with 195 yards receiving on nine receptions.
The 2021 fifth-round draft pick by the Minnesota Vikings averaged 21.7 yards per catch in three games, including two 40-plus yard receptions from Chiefs backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert.
With the NFL regular season fast approaching, the Panthers are dealing with injuries to three of their top five receivers. DJ Chark, Terrace Marshall Jr. and Laviska Shenault Jr. all sat out the preseason finale and their status for Week 1 remains uncertain.
Smith-Marsette spent time with Minnesota and the Chicago Bears the past two seasons, catching five passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns in 2021. He had one catch for 15 yards last season.
He has returned five kickoffs for 100 yards.
The Panthers also announced 22 roster moves on Tuesday to get closer to the league’s 53-player limit.
The most notable cut was linebacker Deion Jones, a 2016 Pro Bowl linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons who was signed earlier this offseason to a one-year deal.
A second-round pick by the Falcons in 2016, Jones has started 88 games and played in 96 in his career with 12 interceptions and 11 sacks.
The Panthers also parted ways with five draft picks from the era of former coach Matt Rhule, including wide receiver Shi Smith, cornerbacks Keith Taylor and Stantley Thomas-Oliver, linebacker Brandon Smith and offensive lineman Deonte Brown.
The team also cut wide receivers Javon Wims and Josh Vann; running back Spencer Brown, offensive linemen Justin McCray, Michael Jordan, Sam Tecklenburg and JD Direnzo; defensive lineman Raequan Williams; outside linebackers Kobe Jones, Eku Leota, and Jordan Thomas; inside linebacker Ace Eley; safety Eric Rowe; and cornerbacks Herb Miller, Mac McCain, and Mark Milton.
Right guard Austin Corbett was placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list as he continues to recover from a torn ACL he sustained in last year’s regular-season finale. That means Corbett will miss at least the first four games of the season.
Defensive end Henry Anderson was also placed on injured reserve.