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Release of Ben Jacobs opens doors for younger Panthers

By Danny Jaillet

SANTA CLARA, CA - FEBRUARY 07: Ben Jacobs #53 of the Carolina Panthers (C) runs on the field prior to playing in Super Bowl 50 against the Denver Broncos at Levi's Stadium on February 7, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - FEBRUARY 07: Ben Jacobs #53 of the Carolina Panthers (C) runs on the field prior to playing in Super Bowl 50 against the Denver Broncos at Levi's Stadium on February 7, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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The Panthers will now have to have their younger players step up.

A long-time member of the Carolina Panthers is no longer with the team. Perhaps even worse at the moment, he is a member of the linebacking corps. Ben Jacobs was released by the team on Monday, ending a seven-year stint with the team. This news was first reported by Field Yates of ESPN.

Jacobs had been playing with the Panthers since the 2013 season. He began his career as an undrafted free agent, but found playing time with the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns. He then would join Carolina in 2013 and would flip back and forth between the active squad and the practice squad. He was released by the team in the 2016 campaign, but he would return to Charlotte and play the final four games of that season. After that, he began to have an iron-man streak of sorts playing all contests in the 2017 and 2018 campaigns.

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As Steve Taranto of 247Sports notes, Jermaine Carter and David Mayo could fill the role on special-teams. Carter could take the place of Jacobs at linebacker. Carter is certainly a player with lots of potential, and he received a fair amount of playing time last season. He recorded 13 tackles and seven contests in the 2018 campaign, including a season-best five tackles in the season finale against the New Orleans Saints.

Jacobs had a tremendous value to the team on special teams. He certainly had a role with the Panthers organization. However, oftentimes the fringe special teams players end up packing their bags as the team clears space on the roster. Jacobs will certainly find a home due to his versatility as a special teams player and linebacker. There are plenty of teams out there who can use a dependable linebacker. This probably won’t be his last stop in the National Football League.

For Jermaine Carter in particular, this move most likely means that he will have to step up in the 2019 season. He certainly showed potential last season, and there is no reason to believe that he cannot improve. The Panthers are getting rid of some older veterans at the position, which means the younger players will have to step up. This is a huge season for Carter, and he could put himself in a good position for the future with a great showing.

You never like to see a player get cut. However, this is a necessary move for the Carolina Panthers given the direction they want to go in (getting younger) and the potential the players below Jacobs have. I wish him nothing but the best and hope he finds work elsewhere. He was a very valuable and tough member for the Panthers, and for those reasons I believe he won’t have trouble finding a home for 2019.

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