Carolina Panthers dented Daviyon Nixon’s confidence
General manager Scott Fitterer lavished praise on Daviyon Nixon as a player that could help generate pressure next season. But the defensive tackle was waived by the Carolina Panthers shortly after these comments following their decision to bring veteran Henry Anderson on board.
This came as a shock to many within the fanbase. Nixon flashed real promise before his rookie campaign was cut short and after fully recovering from his knee problem, was expected to form a key component of the defensive line rotation in 2022.
The former fifth-round selection has enough explosiveness to make things happen when called upon. Nixon displayed that on more than one occasion last season. Still, a report from Will Kunkel of FOX Charlotte suggested some in the organization didn’t believe he had what it takes to be a consistent contributor.
"“A lot of fans were surprised the Panthers cut Davyion Nixon today. I am told the team thought he just didn’t have the skill to play at the NFL level.”"
Again, this is a strange take considering how well Nixon performed in camp and when on the field last time around. But the Panthers feel Phil Hoskins, Bravvion Roy, and undrafted free-agent Marquan McCall can pick up the slack if Derrick Brown or Matt Ioannidis miss time.
Nixon was brought back onto the practice squad, which indicates Kunkel’s claim might be pretty far off the mark. But there’s just no telling what this is going to do for the player’s confidence long-term.