The Carolina Panthers were forced to a do a bit of housekeeping before the start of this week’s rookie minicamp.
The minicamp, which runs Friday to Saturday, will feature the team’s seven draft picks and at least 11 undrafted free agents. Those 18 rookies will be added to a roster that is now down to 73 players.
The team cut veteran inside linebacker Jacoby Windmon on Thursday, a league source confirmed to The Charlotte Observer. Windmon’s release will help onboard the rookie class, but at least one more move needs to be made to house all 18 prospects by Friday.
Windmon was signed to a reserve/future deal after spending a chunk of last season on the practice squad. Windmon bounced on and off the Carolina roster over the past two seasons, appearing in nine games (two starts) while producing 22 tackles, 1.5 sacks and two pass breakups.
With Windmon off the roster, the Panthers’ inside linebacker depth chart features free-agent addition Devin Lloyd, Trevin Wallace, Claudin Cherelus, Bam Martin-Scott, Maema Njongmeta, Jared Bartlett, Jamil Muhammad and seventh-round pick Jackson Kutwatch.
Maz Mwansa received team’s NFL International Player Program’s exemption Wednesday. The British-born linebacker spent all of last season on the practice squad as an IPP exemption. He will not count against the roster this offseason, and he will not count against the practice squad if he ultimately ends up on the secondary roster following the cut-down deadline.
Panthers 2026 NFL Draft class
First round:Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia (19th overall)
Second round:Lee Hunter, DT, Texas Tech (49th overall)
Third round:Chris Brazzell, WR, Tennessee (83rd overall)
Fourth round:Will Lee, CB, Texas A&M (129th overall)
Fifth round:Sam Hecht, C, Kansas State (144th overall); Zakee Wheatley, S, Penn State (151st overall)
Seventh round:Jackson Kuwatch, LB, Miami (OH) (227th overall)
Reported undrafted free-agent class
Georgia Tech QB Haynes King
Duke DT Aaron Hall
SMU DE/OLB Isaiah Smith
Rutgers CB Cam Miller
Texas DB Jaylon Guilbeau
Notre Dame CB DeVonta Smith
Baylor WR Kobe Prentice
Wisconsin DT Parker Peterson
Mississippi State OT Albert Reese IV
Coastal Carolina WR Malick Meiga
Vanderbilt OL Isaia Glass
This story was originally published May 7, 2026 at 10:40 AM with the headline "Panthers release linebacker before rookie minicamp to make room for draft class."
Mike Kaye writes about the Carolina Panthers for The Charlotte Observer. He also co-hosts “Processing Blue: A Panthers Podcast” for The Observer. Kaye’s work in columns/analysis and sports feature writing has been honored by the North Carolina Press Association (NCPA). His reporting has also received recognition from the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE).Kaye previously covered the entire NFL for Pro Football Network, the Philadelphia Eagles for NJ Advance Media and the Jacksonville Jaguars for First Coast News. Support my work with a digital subscription